Sakura Haruno is a Hero
by Ghostwriter789
Summary: In a world of merciless assassins with God-like powers, freakish bloodlines, and forbidden techniques, can a single person make a difference? Sakura believes so, and tries to be a hero despite all that. This is a crazy story and thus an AU. Warning! Deals with death, blood, drugs, and violence to children. Attempts to fix plot-holes with plot, making even more. You've been warned.
1. Doubts and Dreams on a Summer Day

A/N: First Story. Please review!

A/N: I just learned I can edit things after I post them... go figure so several items have been changed because of typos. Thank you so much for reading.

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Disclaimer: This story has dark themes throughout.

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 **Chapter 1: Doubts and dreams of a summer day.**

Sakura ran through the forest not letting herself cry until she reached her destination. Running around tall trees Sakura finally found the spot. She slowed to a walk and went in through a small entrance of a hollow tree. There was a string of paper flowers over the entrance.

"I'm home." Sakura muttered tapping one of the flowers as she enter and began to sniff.

She hurried inside and shut the small door. Sitting on the floor she took a moment to let her sadness come over her finally. She began to weep as she thought about what had transpired.

Sakura had always had a problem talking to people normally. It led to her being picked on for being shy and they would make fun of her looks most of all. That all changed when she made friends Ino.

She was passionate and bombastic in a way that made people like her. Her father was an important person in the village and bullies tried not to mess with Ino if they could help it. Sakura felt so moved that Ino was willing to help her she practically became Ino's little lackey. Feeding her compliments, helping her with homework, making her special cookies, and the like.

Sakura didn't want to lose her one and only friend. Ino loved this kind of attention and Sakura quickly became one of her favorites. Eventually however Sakura felt her friend's attention waver and she began to hang out with other girls more often. It had all started when Sakura mentioned that she thought Sasuke was cute. Sasuke was, in her opinion, one of the coolest kids ever. Everyone seemed to like him but she was finally confronted by Ino today.

* * *

"Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke… It is all you ever talk about anymore!" Ino said in irritation.

"Well…I…I just think he is cool that's all…" Sakura said with a small blush. Inside she was squealing that he was the cutest ever and that she felt like hugging him would be the best feeling ever.

"What, do you like, _like_ him?" Ino asked.

"I…Um…I…" Sakura stuttered feeling her face heat up. _Yes..._ Sakura was head over heels...

"Well…I guess I don't have any competition from you so…" Ino said thinking about it out loud.

"What's that supposed mean?" Sakura asked confused. Sakura was starting to get a bad feeling.

Ino considered her for a moment. "All girls are kind of like flowers. Remember how the Hokage told us about the village being like a tree? Well I'm one of the flowers that will make the tree pop! And you…well you are still just a bud. Sasuke is bound to notice me more in the end."

"Your saying... I'm not good enough?" Sakura said slowly shocked her friend would tell her that.

"Well, I was trying to break it to you nicely, but..." Ino said folding her arms. "You are going to be cute one day, but for now you are still in that awkward little kid stage. Sasuke is more likely to pat you on the head like a cross eyed kitten he found then kiss you like his lover.

"You also have no prospects going for you, even if you get cute later on. I am the heiress to the Yamanaka clan, while you are a civilian born with no specialty and no history. It's nothing personal just a fact. Yeah, your mother's family may have been here from the founding of the village, but they weren't even government stationed officials. They were foot soldiers sent to accompany the nobles.

"They're not rich either. Yuki's family is civilian too, but they are also heiresses to several main supply stores in the village and thus have hefty dowries. So no looks, history, or even money. You likely have little to no chance."

Sakura froze. Then her eyes began to well up in tears. Ino patted her head.

"If you want to prove me right just try confessing your feelings to Sasuke. I'm just trying to help you understand before you get hurt being rejected. Being told you are not good enough by a friend hurts a whole lot less then being told you aren't good enough by the one you like. Trust me." Ino said with a smile. "See! Aren't I the best?"

Sakura had been silent for a moment before running off. Now, she was here and crying her eyes out…Sakura felt pathetic. After she managed to calm down she wiped her tears as a single thought formed in her mind.

She got up and decided to go back and prove Ino wrong!

* * *

"Um…Sasuke…I…just wanted…" Sakura began blushing furiously. She had never done this before, and her heart was hammering like crazy.

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked looking up from his book. He was…adorable. Raven black hair, and deep, deep black eyes that seemed like she they could hypnotize her.

"I wanted to ask you…to… um…" Sakura stuttered out.

Sasuke closed the book. "Look. I won't waste my time with someone weaker then me. Get strong then come back."

Sakura blushed furiously and ran out of the room at top speed leaving Sasuke in her dust.

Sasuke looked confused. If people were going to challenge him the way Naruto did then he needed to make sure they could fight on his level. Sasuke shrugged. It was time to get back to training.

* * *

Kizashi was a good father, albeit a bit wild and crazy.

He preferred the word passionate...He had gotten home late to see his wife nearly barrel him over as he tried to walk inside.

"Sakura! You're not Sakura! Kizashi where is our baby!?" Mebuki yelled in a panic looking around wildly.

"Wha-?! How should I know! I just got back! Wasn't she with you?" Kizashi yelled back getting up and following his wife as she ran out the door.

"Well let's look for her!" Mebuki called starting to run down the street.

"Alright! Let's find her! Where did you see her last?" Kizashi said seriously trying to keep up with his wife as she kept calling Sakura's name trying to find their lost daughter.

Mebuki stopped and thought for a minute, Kizashi finally getting through to her. Mebuki took a deep breath and re-focused. "I remember going to work and she had already left. That means I haven't seen our baby girl in over a day. I feel like such a bad mother…"

"Nonsense Mebuki! You are a wonderful mom! You could say your Superwonmom!" Kizashi said laughing at his own joke. He loved puns and Dad-jokes...

"Honey this is no time for jokes! Our daughter is missing!" Mebuki said snapping out of her momentary

"Alright baby! Let's go save our little daughter!" Kizashi said.

* * *

Sakura was passed out sleeping when her parents found her outside some ways from their daughter's secret base. It was a small place out in the middle of nowhere so it took some time getting there.

"Mebuki, I found her!" Kizashi said picking Sakura up in his arms. She was still damp with sweat and smelled a bit. "Looks like our little warrior has been training hard..."

Mebuki's panicked look softened and she began to tear up. "Sakura… I should have been watching you…Oh Spirits! You're bleeding! Kizashi, what if she has chakra exhaustion!?"

Chakra exhaustion could in fact be deadly, but it was pretty clear Sakura had the 'pass out with exhaustion' kind rather than the 'life-threatening kind'.

Kizashi considered his little daughter and smiled. "I think she'll be fine. She will definitely be sore for a few days, but you know what they say about cherry blossoms. Though they seem fragile, they come back every year!"

Mebuki's face turned to one of anger as she ignored her husband's comment. "What the hell was she thinking!? She knows better than to train alone in the middle of the woods! And I told her she didn't need to train this hard! Physical training is fine, but too much will make you look like a man. Besides that, no matter what, guys are just stronger than girls. They just grow faster."

Kizashi looked at his wife with a smirk. "I think that tree over there disagrees."

Mebuki considered the tree before her. It had a few indents in it.

"Sakura is amazing when she puts her mind to it…What do you think got her so riled up?" Kizashi continued.

"I don't know really." Mebuki said examining her little girl's hands. She had bound them in cloth and leaves known for their healing properties but her legs were just rubbed raw... "But we can help her with some things... For example, her first-aid skills."

Mebuki examined the wrappings closer. "She used the correct leaves. It is a commonly known herb for treating hands that have been too banged up and bruised, but they aren't meant to be used when the skin is already open." Mebuki said removing the wrappings to take out the leaves and reapplying them the bandages. "Her hands are a little out of alignment because of her training but she should recover without any ill effects. Even I know that much."

Kizashi examined the ones on her legs. "My job at the rice paddies can cause some leg soreness and sometimes there are cuts. Her skin has been rubbed raw. I think she will need to see a doctor for it. Well... there goes my bonus..."

Kizashi then hoisted her up so she was in a piggy back position. She unconsciously snuggled into his shoulder. Kizashi smiled as Mebuki kissed her forehead. "Let's get her home."

* * *

Sakura had been taken to the Konoha Hospital the next day. Sakura had been given the talking-to of a life time as her mother reprimanded her for training too hard. Sakura had never been to a chakra healer and watched in awe as her skin healed and her bones realigned under the direction of the medic-ninja.

"Alright Ms. Haruno you are good to go!" the medic said with a smile. She had healed up all Sakura's cuts and scrapes. There weren't even any scars! Sakura was slightly mystified by the glowing green chakra she had used. Sakura even got a lollipop!

Her mother led her back home through throngs of people. It was almost time for the 'Fourth's Festival'.

The Fourth Hokage was remembered as a hero who defeated the Nine-tailed Fox after it nearly destroyed the village eight years ago. It had started off as a ceremony for the many shinobi who had died in the battle, but ended up being a special festival day for the villagers. Those who had died were still remembered, but they were usually remembered on the Memorial Day, and civilians like Sakura didn't really go to those.

She was excited for the Fourth's Festival. There were balloons, street vendors, food, little games like pin-the-tail-on-the-fox, and kids hearing stories about the past Hokage. Since the festival was in a few days people were already getting ready.

"Sakura," Her mother said as they walked. "Why did you want to become a ninja?"

Sakura thought about it. "I guess because it seemed like a lot of fun. Running around, beating up bad guys, that sort of thing... but after awhile I did it for the challenge."

"Challenge?" Mebuki wondered.

"Yeah!" Sakura said lighting up. "It feels good to do something really hard and look back and think 'I did it!' I managed to do that in my training yesterday and it felt so good! I just kept going and going… 'course I should probably be more careful since I ended up in the hospital..."

"Huh…I seem to remember you not liking to do hard things like chores." Mebuki said teasingly.

Sakura slumped at the mention of chores. When they walked back to the house she was sure she would be getting it for skipping out on her chores all day to go train with in the woods.

"Chores are too easy…" Sakura protested lamely. "I'm going to be a super-cool ninja one day and I have to go do laundry?"

Mebuki sighed. "Super-cool ninjas still need to do their laundry…"

...

Sakura and Mebuki finally reached the house and Sakura was sent to work on laundry while Mebuki started dinner. After dinner Mebuki was curled up on the couch with Sakura in front of her as she brushed her daughter's hair preparing for bed. It was one of the few days Mebuki had off to be able to do something like this. She regretted not being home for their little girl but bills needed to be paid... Mebuki knew it was selfish, but she started to worry that one day she would come home, and Sakura wouldn't be there... she would be dead on some mission... Mebuki didn't know if she could handle that kind of pain again...

"Sweetie…I need to tell you something…" Mebuki said softly.

Sakura turned to look up at her with those big, bright green, beautiful eyes. "What is it Mommy?"

"I've been thinking, and I don't think it is very safe for you to be a ninja anymore." Mebuki said. "I'll be pulling out of the ninja program."

"WHAT?!" Sakura said standing up. "Mommy! You can't do that!"

"Sit down, Sakura!" Mebuki commanded furiously.

Sakura flinched and sat back down slowly. Inwardly she was fuming, but she kept a collected face so her mother could explain. Mebuki began brushing her hair once more.

"Look dear. It may come to some news to you, but during the Third Shinobi War, I was drafted into the academy." Mebuki said matter-a-factly. Sakura was shocked as she had never heard this story before.

"I was top of my grades, but I just wasn't cut out for it, you know? Something you and I share is our chakra control. Remember all those exercises I made you do before you went into the academy?" Mebuki asked. Sakura nodded slowly. Sakura had done them thinking they were some kind of game her mother and her would play together. If she did well she would get a candy, or a big hug, or something along those lines.

"Soon your chakra control will be near perfect like mine is. You and I were able to achieve this because we have very low chakra reserves. More control at the cost of very little power." Mebuki said wistfully. "I was very similar to how you are right now. I thought being a ninja would be fun, or cool, that there would be cute boys."

Sakura flushed under her mother's knowing look. Her mother looked down, seemingly lost in her own memories.

"That was until I met a woman that would later be my rival. Her name was Yoko... We were about the same age... While she had terrible control at first, she had so much chakra, I could hardly believe it. Then I met Aiko... She was an orphan from the previous war, but had chakra, and chakra control to spare. They were both deadly kunoichi. Both made Jonin. Both are dead now." Mebuki said, suddenly looking much older. "Even such powerful women died…"

"I don't want you to die before me." Her mother continued in a quiet voice. "So please… _please_ give up on this stupid dream and stay with me. I know living as a civilian can be tough, especially as a woman, but your father and I can still find you a nice husband, scrape together a dowry... You won't ever have to watch your friends die in front of you... Never have to fight for your life, never have to work every day just to be strong enough to get up, and nearly get yourself killed once again... so just stay with me and-"

Sakura couldn't take it anymore. She got up and ran to her room slamming the door. Her mother's words echoed in her mind. Sakura could just see it now. Growing up safe and happy with an accountant for one of the local shop,s maybe a restaurant, or shrine owner. Growing old with all the little children around her…having to send them off to war. No! She would be strong because that was just who she was!

* * *

Sakura thought long and hard about it, and she wasn't even completely sure until her father walked through the door having worked late. He sat down in the entry way sitting with a tired thunk as he began taking off his muddy sandals and relaxed his exhausted body on the steps. Sakura saw her mother from the banister and she looked like she had been crying. Her mother talked to her father quietly with a depressed look on her face. Noticing Sakura watching them, Kizashi looked up and waved her over. Her mother left in a frustrated huff. Kizashi just looked confused.

"Hey baby girl, do you know what's got your mother in a funk?" Kizashi asked calling her to him. "Did you guys have a fight?"

Sakura ran down and hugged him, crying into his coat. She felt lost and confused and just wanted to know if everything would be okay... "Mommy says I need to give up being a ninja…she says she doesn't want me to die, but I don't think that is right! I wanna be strong! Daddy…what do I do?"

Kizashi hugged his crying child and pulled her up on his lap as he held her close. "Do you know why we named you Sakura?"

"You named me after the cherry blossoms…" Sakura hiccuped.

"Yes. That and it was an amazing pun... 'Cherry Blossoms of Spring' coming after 'Omen of Spring' and 'Flower Buds of Spring'. Born with bright pink hair and everything! I couldn't resist..." Kizashi said with a chuckle. "Don't tell your mother that though..."

Sakura partly laughed and partly wanted to hit her dad on the head for naming her like that.

"Well... it is a good thing your mother named you then... You know how the cherry blossoms always open around your birthday? Well you were just born and the flower viewing festival had just started. There was a special ceremony held for those of us civilians who had lost loved ones in the night of the Nine-tails attack. Now it is called 'Memorial Day'. To remember those who died they compare the their loved ones to cherry blossoms. How beautiful they were when they are alive and how fragile that life is…Your mother was deeply moved and together we called you 'Sakura.' In this case your name could mean 'Fragile hope of Spring coming after a long winter.' Your mother has clung to that hope.

"Mommy is a complicated lady, but I love her anyways." Her father said with a smile. He looked at his precious daughter who looked like she was weighing her options and sighed. "If you still want to become a ninja…I won't stop you. Technically your mother has no power over that fact as I am the head of the household. That and you have been contracted in for the next few years at least to serve in the ninja academy. Now I'm just an old farmer at heart…but I say if you have a dream, go chase it down. I saw the power you have now, and I can already see you have more chakra right now then your mother did finishing the academy. You can do it. Us Haruno's just don't know when to give up. I think that is why your mom likes me so much." He added with a waggle of his eyebrows. "That or the mustache."

Sakura hugged her father tightly and thanked him profusely. "I'll make you proud Daddy."

"You already have." He said. "Now get to bed!"

He smiled as his little girl beamed at him and scampered up the stairs. They grew up so fast...

...

Later, after Sakura had fallen asleep, Mebuki approached Kizashi as he relaxed his tired body in his chair, staring through the window at the lights that lit up the village at night with a beer.

"Did you convince her not to do it?" Mebuki asked. She was fearful that her little girl would die in a trench somewhere.

"Nope." Kizashi said popping the 'p' and taking another dreg.

"Why not!?" Mebuki erupted. "Do you want to see our daughter killed?!"

Kizashi looked at Mebuki critically then sighed. "Because it is her dream... Kids can have those..."

"But if she keeps going down this crazy path then-" Mebuki said nearly shouting. Kizashi rose up and kissed her taking her off guard.

"Hey." Kizashi said holding her round the waist like he hadn't in awhile. Mebuki tried to look away but she was captivated by his large baby blues. "Do you remember how we met?"

Mebuki sighed looking away into her husband's shoulder. "You found me crying because one of my friends died... You tried to get me to laugh with one of your dumb jokes... I believe I threw a shoe at you…"

Kizashi chuckled, beginning to stroke her hair as she trembled in his arms, looking so vulnerable..."Mebuki my love, you are a worry wart to the core, but I love you like a fat kid loves his dumplings and a drunk loves his rice wine…but, I know our baby girl is going to survive this... and if not…"

Mebuki's breath hitched at this.

"She'll be a hero wiling to lay down her life for her friends... and what she believes in... Just like Aiko...Just like Yoko..." Kizashi said softly as his wife finally broke down into tears. "And if she fails at her dream we'll be there to catch her if she falls just like we always do... We'll be there for her if her friends die on her and to help her take care of little ones while she is off on missions... She deserves to live her dreams. She's got a fair shot at this. You know that."

"I know…I just…" Mebuki said frustrated how her husband had a way of getting to her like this. It was like he could zero in on what was bothering her and point it out in that infuriatingly, frustratingly, sweet way of his, making all her cares, fears, and worries feel silly even to her.

"Babe, I think it is time to just let her live. Ninja kids grow up faster than normal. Sakura's eight right now, so mentally she is around 14ish..." Kizashi said counting on his fingers. "Besides, as soon as she was signed up, she was contracted to at least finishing the academy, and up to one year afterwards as a Genin if she passed, so it is not like we can just pull her out of the program now."

Mebuki frowned. "We only put her in because of the law saying all civilians must at least try to be trained. What if they find-."

Kizashi smirked kissing her weak point behind her ear. "Don't worry about it you big baby. If anything happens I'll take responsibility like I always do... Like I will tonight..."

Mebuki flushed bright red. "I-idiot! I-!" Mebuki however was silenced by yet another kiss this time on her lips. She finally sank into this kiss letting her lover chase all her fears away and kiss away all her tears.


	2. Reparations and Hopefulness

**Chapter 2: Reparations and hopefulness.**

 **A/N: Second chapter! Woot!**

 **A/N: Edits to the story, typos and other issues are being fixed. Thank you for reading.**

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Everything started to go wrong on Parent's day with being Sakura a bit nervous.

Her parents were civilian and what was more, they were not very well off civilians, like Ino pointed out, only barely making ends meet. She had been embarrassed when all the other girls would wear fancy dresses, and Sakura had gotten one of her mother's worn shirts stitched up to be more her size, or she would get used clothes that would be too short for her. Hence why everyone saw her just wearing shorts and an overly large shirt. A while ago all she had was some of her father's old shirts made up into a sort of button up vest.

Yes. Her parents were poor, but what they didn't have, they tried to make up for in love…when they had time. Sakura was alone most of the time as her mother worked overtime as a seamstress... and a waitress... And her father would work even longer in the Konoha rice paddies... and a training ground cleaner... and other work...

Sakura understood that they needed to work to live and buy stuff but if they worked so much how did they have no money?! Either way, Sakura tried to help out around the house after school and usually cooked for herself; even at eight years old.

Sakura did her best to get done with all her chores and studies, so she could play with her one friend Ino.

Many kids at the Academy picked on her because 'she lives in a shoe box', or 'her clothes are so ugly, a beggar wouldn't take them'. Ino was different though. She didn't care how much her parents made, and she was just so cool! Sakura wanted to be just like her. Cool, confident, pretty, and although Ino's parents were busy, they still were able to spend time with her.

Sakura had never really explained her feelings about Sasuke to Ino, but she felt that Ino already knew. Sakura just kept her feelings to herself... for now... Right now, she was happy being a wall flower. She could bask in Ino's light a little longer.

Sakura, who heard Parent's day was coming up, had asked to see a picture of Ino's parents.

"Sure. I mean, you're gonna see them all this Friday anyways." Ino said, handing half of a Popsicle to her friend. "Just come over to my house after school today, if your parents are okay with it anyway. Mom loves having me bring friends over, and Dad won't mind too much, if I give him some warning first."

"S-should I bring a picture of my family as well?" Sakura asked. She was nervous but wanted to be included as well. If Ino was going to invite her to their house then the least Sakura could do is bring a picture..."Not like you'll see them any other way..."

"Sure thing! I'd love to see your family too!" Ino said giving her a bright smile and a thumbs-up. Then she looked a little confused. "Wait…Are your parents gonna make it to the Parent's day this year?"

"N-no…I-I mean…M-mom and D-dad are…r-real busy…I- "Sakura stuttered.

"I get it! Geez! Don't give yourself an aneurysm over it! I was just curious if I was going to meet 'em in person." Ino said as the lunch bell dinged, indicating they needed to be back inside.

"Y-yeah. Alright! I'll go ask them!" Sakura said.

After school Sakura hurried home. She was going to Ino's house! It was going to be great!

* * *

Sakura came to her home. A small housing unit in the outer area closer to the downtown area. It was southwest of the Hokage tower near a small park Sakura would sometimes come and play at... if Ami and her goons weren't around that is... It was also close to a rundown apartment complex and the older part of town. Dad picked it out because apparently it used to belong to a ninja who had committed suicide there and was said to haunt the place making it super cheap, despite the place being in a more established part of town.

Sakura hadn't heard any ghosts, but sometimes, when it was raining out, Sakura couldn't help but think the house was crying. Their landlord was apparently some shinobi who found it more convenient to live out of an apartment, using the rent they paid to pay for his condo.

Sakura thought it was a bit of a waste, but maybe he feared living in the house too...

Sakura rushed through her chores. Sakura cleaned the floors and made sure her bedroom was extra tidy. Her mom still did most of the cooking in the mornings still, but Sakura would help by pulling some meat from the freezer and putting it to thaw, as well as setting the rice cooker up so all her mom had to do was pour the water in, and let it cook.

Their house was small, so it didn't take her long. Sakura packed her book bag with the day's homework and a copy of their family picture. It was one when her parents were younger, and Sakura was still small. It was a bit faded now but it was still in good condition.

Sakura made sure the house was locked before she left for Ino's house. Ino said to stop by her family's flower shop beforehand and they'd walk there together.

Yamanaka Flowers was a bright and modern looking building with beautiful bouquets on display in great glass windows. Sakura was enveloped by the smell of fresh roses and other flowers as she entered the cool shop from the hot day.

"Sakura's here!" Ino said, jumping off the counter where a woman with brown hair and a willowy grace was at the register helping a customer.

"Ino dear, mind your manners." The woman said, chiding her, but Sakura could see mirth behind her soft brown eyes. Ignoring her, Ino ran and barreled into her friend with a bone crushing 'hug'. More like Ino tackled Sakura to the floor like a big over-excited puppy

"Sakura!" Ino shouted. The customer left with a smile seeing their friendship saying something about 'youth'. Finally, Sakura was released and she could breathe again, Ino sheepishly helped her up. "Sorry..."

"H-hi Ino! I brought the picture." Sakura said gasping still.

"Well, no need for pictures on my part! This here, is my mom! Ta~da!" Ino said introducing her to the nice woman behind the register with 'jazz hands' and a dramatic flare, making her mother roll her eyes.

Sakura looked back and forth, between mother and child, and was confused. "But she seems so nice and quiet."

Ino's mom hid her mouth as she laughed and Ino blushed bright red.

"Yeah…well… I guess." Ino allowed.

"I assure you that although loud Ino is very much my daughter." Ino's mother said. Looking closer, Sakura could see that she and Ino had practically the same face, except for the ears.

"Very nice to meet you Mrs. Yamanaka. My name is Sakura Haruno. Your daughter looks very much like you." Sakura said politely. She was still shy around most adults, but this was her friend's mom so Sakura tried not to close in on herself and hide behind Ino, like she usually did.

Ino's mother smiled all the way up to her eyes. "The pleasure is mine, Sakura. Please call me Tsubaki. Your manners are very good. I feel you would be a good influence on my daughter. She can be a bit wild sometimes."

Ino's name means 'Wild Mountain Boar' so it is no wonder.

"Yeah..." Sakura said, still feeling bump on her head from Ino tackle-hugged her.

"Mooooommm!" Ino whined, feeling embarrassed. It was one thing for your parents to embarass you, and another thing entirely for your friends to agree with them! "Can we go?"

"What? Going so soon? But, I don't get to embarrass you nearly as often as I like." Tsubaki said with a smirk that reminded Sakura too much of Ino.

"Please?" Ino begged. "Sakura has to be home around sun down."

"Oh, alright. I'll have mercy. Have fun you two!" Tsubaki said Ino grabbed Sakura's hand and made a hasty retreat out the door.

* * *

Once outside, Ino lead Sakura down the road to her house.

"Sorry about that. Despite her calm demeanor, Mom likes to tease me a lot." Ino explained with a blush. "If I didn't get us out of there you would have heard all kinds of stories..."

"She seems nice." Sakura said, enjoying the rare image of a flustered Ino.

"Yeah..." Ino said smiling. "For a mom, she _is_ pretty cool... when she wants to be of course."

Ino walked right up to a huge house that looked like a mansion. It had large white walls with Ino's clan symbol on either side of the arch doorway.

"Welcome to the Yamanaka clan building!" Ino said with a dramatic voice and a hand flourish. "Also known as my house, where I take care of little kids and my grandparents."

Sakura was in awe of the place and immediately felt she wasn't dressed well enough. Seeing her friend's hesitation Ino placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry you are here as my guest."

Suddenly, three or four little kids no older than about three years old, came out of the wood-works and tackle-hugged Ino like she had to Sakura in the shop, only Ino managed to stay upright somehow, albeit not without some effort.

"Big Sis! Yato stole my toy!"

"Did not! It was Takumi!"

"Hey! Take that back!" said apparently Takumi.

Ino threw them off and stared them down. Ino looked downright imperious.

"Behold, the clan heir has spoken!" Ino said dramatically and the children were silenced looking at her with awe.

"I say, the toy shall be returned to Kota, or no one will be getting desert tonight!"

"You can't do that!" Takumi said indignantly.

"You have no power here!" Yota said chuckling. Was he making some kind of reference?

"I can just mention to Grandma Inoka that Dad might like stewed plums tonight instead of that raspberry tart she was planning on having." Ino said pretending to examine her nails, appearing uninterested, before her face flashed with a knowing smirk, and she folded arms in triumph while the three children gaped at her.

"The Horror!"

"Blasphemy!"

"I'm sorry!" one of them said holding out the toy they had been fighting over, his face looking like he was near tears.

"Learned your lesson?" Ino said looking expectantly with a raised eyebrow.

The child looked down with a gulp.

"Yes..." they said is unison.

"Good. Now, depart my loyal minions!" Ino commanded. Sakura watched as the kids saluted and ran away.

Ino finally noticed Sakura's look of sheer disbelief.

"This is the Clan building and I'm the Clan heir." Ino explained as if it was obvious. "Those three were my second cousins. I watch them time to time and I was declared their princess after I saved them from the wrath of Shikamaru's mom. Don't ask."

Sakura nodded slowly, not sure if Ino was joking or not, following Ino down the brightly lit hallways and passing by a few more relatives, but no one nearly as lively as the cousins. One of them, an older boy, who Sakura thought was cute, was apparently named Fuu and was apparently Ino's first cousin on her dad's side.

"Careful with that one." Ino said seriously. "Dad says while a genius like Sasuke, he has some problems with relating to people. Dad called it 'autism'. He's really nice though."

Sakura made to wave at him, but he had already disappeared into his room.

...

They wandered all through the house, Ino giving her the grand-tour with a big grin on her face, until they found the sitting room where Ino's dad was. He was a tall man wearing a long sleeved green shirt. His hair was more of a sandy blonde then Ino's platinum, but their eyes were the same strange pupil-less blue. His face was tired though, making him seem older than he was.

He was currently sitting across a Shogi board from a wild looking man with scars across his face, and a ripped-up jacket. This man was also siting next to a large man with a shock of red hair and purple markings on his face.

"Come on Inochi! Even my son was doing better than this!" Scar-Face whined. Before he opened his mouth, Sakura found him scary, but now he just seemed like a little kid like Takumi and the rest... "What a drag… Look, you are now down to a five percent chance of wining..."

Scar-Face then did something on the board and Ino's-Dad sighed like he lost.

"Twenty moves ahead?" Ino's-Dad asked.

"Yup. Sorry man... Maybe I can ask the old man for a game, but he is a little busy..." Then Scar-Face seemed to notice the young girls who walked in and were staring at the board.

Sakura was staring intently at it. Looking at all the possible moves. Sakura had learned to play shogi awhile back when Ino mentioned she sometimes played. She had read all the strategy books, thinking to impress Ino if they ever played together... Sakura was a bit more confident in their friendship now, but still remembered most of the stuff she had studied...

Then like a lightbulb it hit her.

"He left you an opening here." Sakura said, pointing to the currently free knight. "You will lose that piece, but if you move the bishop here, and this pawn here he would lose at least two generals in the forced retreat. That would free up the hold and you would be at least on even ground again."

Ino's-Dad looked at the board, then back at her while Scar-Face looked to be considering her for something. Sakura ducked behind Ino because of all the attention, but even Ino was staring at her like she had just spoken a foreign language. Sakura cursed herself and her big mouth. She should have just stayed silent-

"While that may be true, it doesn't help that he got himself in this mess in the first place. He kept trying to save that piece at all costs, hoping that he could use it to check the King." Scar-Face said.

Sakura looked down. She wished with all her heart to just disappear on the spot. "S-sorry…I-I…"

"No. You're right little one." Big-Red said with a smile as if he was finally catching on to something. "The knight's job is not one of an assassin, but one of a guardian. To sacrifice himself for the king is his job, not to do it without cause, but with purpose...to protect those he cares for with all his strength."

Ino's-Dad looked at both Scar-Face and Big-Red, and seemed to let go of something he had been holding in, and suddenly looked several years younger.

"Thanks guys." He said quietly. Finally he saw the not-so-subtle nods and meaningful glances from his daughter directed at Sakura.

He motioned to Sakura. "This here is Shikaku Nara and this is Choza Akimichi. You may call me Inochi."

Shikaku gave a lazy, half-hearted 'Yo', while Choza did a brief nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"I am Sakura Haruno and I am good friends with Ino." Sakura said bowing at the waist. These guys were clan heads and very, very powerful people in the village... even Sakura knew that much.

Shikaku gave Inochi a look and Inochi sighed and nodded.

"Hey Sakura, you seem to know what you are doing more than this guy." Shikaku said jerking his thumb at Inochi. "Wanna play?"

Sakura peeked up at Ino from her bow for help what to do. Ino just shrugged and motioned for her to stand straight.

"She's here till sundown and we are here looking at family pictures." Ino said. "I guess getting to meet them in person is more than that so... Go ahead Sakura. I played him once and I kinda wanna see how well you do since you seem to know what you are doing. He is really smart, but he can be a lazy in his approach."

Sakura was soon sitting across from Shikaku facing a shogi board terrified of making a mess of things but trying to settle her mind for the game. A battle started with fear in one's heart was a battle already lost... Sakura trembled a bit as she bowed slightly and thanked him for the game. Shikaku let her go first eyeing her like a hawk did a mouse. Ino rolled her eyes at her friend's timidness...

Sakura played defensively, knowing the man was a strong player. Shikaku seemed bored at first, but then livened up as Sakura seemed to march her pieces like an army towards the king. Finally, she had assembled the formation known as the 'Mino Castle Formation' she had read about in her shogi books.

It was considered easy for beginners, but was still a respected formation. It was an epic fight as Shikaku capatlized on surrounding her on all sides, but Sakura played so defensively she was able to sacrifice pawns for some of his good pieces. Soon it was down to their kings and a pawn each. The pawns killed each other and soon it was just two kings. By technicality, Sakura lost because she moved her king more.

"That…was interesting..." Choza said slowly. Ino was looking at her in awe and Shikaku regarded her once more. Inochi just smiled knowingly. Sakura despite knowing she did well wanted nothing more than to hide behind Ino like the timid little mouse she was...

"Sakura, something I try to teach my troublesome boy is that how you play shogi often reflects on how you live your life." Shikaku said solemly. "You defended your king to the last, and fought fiercely in retaliation, but if unprovoked you do not do anything because of fear. Be careful of just standing idly by when you could be doing some good. Always build up your defenses, but remember life is too short to just defend. You could have won that game if you had ventured out a bit more, or just outright attacked using the 'Ranging Rook Method' to reduce my options even further. All in all, when you put your mind into attacking, you are f-ing brilliant."

Sakura blushed at the praise, not noticing the stern glare Inochi gave to Shikaku for almost swearing in front of his daughter. She knew enough cuss words from her uncles...

"I think I did okay. Mr. Shikaku, you were incredible... But I think I could do much more if I knew how." Sakura frowned. "I didn't want to lose any pieces... I guess that worked this time... but...I guess I could be more offensive next time... "

Shikaku smiled. "Remember how I said Shogi is like life? While that strategy can work, it tends to make for a lonely life. It tends to be too self-preserving and that can lead to worse hardships than if you had just stayed and fought... Though if you try putting the king as someone else and I think you will win both at the game and at life."

"Like Ino?" Sakura asked slowly catching onto the metaphor. Ino smiled at her.

"Friends. Family. People you love. People in your care. It is a careful balance. You must attack, or the other player will kill your pieces, but you cannot sacrifice them all willy-nilly either. You probably don't understand right now, but you will someday, and when you do…you'll be a real challenge to face for sure." Shikaku said getting up. "I gotta get going guys before Yoshino decides to raze half of Konaha trying to find me. Inochi! You owe me a bottle of Moon's Delight for losing the game. See ya next time!"

And with that Shikaku left down the hallway and seemed to disappear leaving a grumbling Inochi, a laughing Choza and a thoughtful Sakura.

Ino who had been waiting in a ball of rambunctious energy finally exploded. "THAT! WAS! AWESOME! Did you see that Daddy! Sakura nearly had Shikaku! He was all like 'I'm gonna get you!' and Sakura was all like 'Catch me if you can!' and then he was all like 'I got you now!' and she was all like 'No!'. Hahaha! I can't wait to tell Shikamaru all about how his dad got beat by a little girl! Hahaha"

"I-It's n-not like that Ino!" Sakura squeaked face turning bright red in embarrassment. "Mr. Shikaku let me get that far…"

"Sakura is right, but still that was an amazing game. Ino here, she went for an all-out attack, and sacrificed all her pawns and most of her good peices. Shikaku saw it from a mile away and put her down in three moves." Inochi said making Ino give a whine of 'Daaaddyyy!' "You on the other hand, were causing him to lose pieces just trying to pierce that defense, and the whole 'army on the march approach' was nothing short of brilliant that you even pulled it off with an opponent like him."

"Thanks…" Sakura said softly. Still not sure if she felt happy or so embarrassed she wished she could melt into the floor.

After a brief bit of small talk, Sakura finally got around to asking Inochi what had been bugging her.

"Mr. Yamanaka I can't help but notice your wife is the exact opposite of your daughter" Sakura said carefully. Ino made an indignant noise but Sakura pressed on. "You seem a lot different from Ino too."

"Maybe now, but he was a spitfire back in the old days!" Choza said with a hearty laugh. "You said you were here for pictures, right? I'll show ya what Inochi looked like!"

Choza procured a picture from his wallet, despite Inochi's protesting, showing it to the girls. Sakura and Ino crowded around to see it.

It was a picture of three kids that looked about fifteen. Two boys and one girl with long blonde hair... Sakura choked back a gasp when she realized the third one was Ino's dad.

Deciding that saying anything would be rude, Sakura tried to notice the others first. "I think I have met your son in class before Mr. Choza…Chouji right? Wow, Mr. Shikaku looks so much like Shikamaru when he was younger! And Mr. Inochi looks very…"

"Pretty?" Ino guessed for her with a mischievous smile, having already seen this picture before. Inochi frowned at her.

"His hair is very nice, and he seems really kind." Sakura said graciously sensing Inoichi's discomfort.

"Ino, I think this one is a keeper." Inochi said with a smile. "Actually, I was anything but kind back in the day... It is tradition in our clan to wear our hair long, that plus my girly face made for some embarrassing situations. I eventually would just snap at anyone who even dared call me girly. Between that and mentioning Choza's weight in a negative light, we were as Shikaku puts it, troublesome."

Sakura and Ino giggled imagining a younger Inochi having to snap at people because they thought he was a girl.

"Hey, Sakura! I still haven't seen your parents!" Ino said remembering Sakura's photo. "You met my parents, and they won't be there on Parent's day so it's only fair!"

Sakura sheepishly pulled the photo out of her pocket and handed it to Ino.

"Wait. Wha-?" Ino said holding it to her face to scrutinize it closer. "That's your Mom and Dad? I mean, it could be but…"

Ino was silenced by a glare from Inochi. Choza glanced at the photo and then shifted uncomfortably.

"W-what do you mean?" Sakura said, nervous something was wrong. What did Ino mean? Yeah, it was an older photo and they looked really young but-

"Well…It's just…um…Dad?" Ino asked. Apparently, even Ino didn't know what to say. It must be terrible!

Inochi gave a long sigh. "I'm going to need a drink later…Sakura, Ino is trying to tactfully say she is not sure if you look a lot like your parents. Ino doesn't realize that genes can be complex things and you are most likely your parent's child, even if you don't particularly look alike. Even if you're adopted, or something on those lines, you can always just ask your parents and they will tell you, you are still their child. Family is not totally based on heritage you know."

Sakura was at a loss for words. Did she really look that different from her parents?

Inochi coughed.

"Where does your father work? Maybe I have met him in passing." He asked derailing Sakura's inner turmoil.

"He works for a labor company… he keeps the training grounds clean and does a lot of farm work. He usually works pretty late." Sakura, relieved for the change in subject, answered dutifully.

"Ah! So, he works for the Parks and Training department. That is a good field. You mentioned he does a lot of farm work? Is he in management?" Inochi asked.

"No…He says he has at least three different bosses. His farm work is for Red Lantern Rice. His training ground cleaning job is sponsored by the Nara clan and I think he also does part time work doing odd jobs." Sakura said.

Inochi looked confused. "Does your mother work?"

"Yes…she works for Konaha Thread and at the Konaha Supermarket, and Dango Café. I bring her lunch sometimes."

"They…sound very hard working!" Inochi said. "Well I'll let you two go! You only have an hour till sundown."

Ino and Sakura played for the rest of the hour chasing three-year-olds around the massive court yard while Inochi considered what he learned.


	3. Doubts

Chapter 3: Doubts

A/N: Thank you for favorite and following guys! I will be updating about once a week on Saturdays. Thank you for all the support and remember to support the official release and that I own nothing!

:

Several hours later Inochi and his wife were finally in bed and both wondering about a single subject. Their daughter and her friend Sakura.

"Dear did you happen to meet Sakura today?" Inochi asked.

"I believe so. Such a thin little thing but very polite." Tsubaki said.

"Indeed. She would be a good friend for her. She got to meet Shikaku and Choza when they came over. Shikaku challenged her to a game after he and Choza were done with my 'therapy session'. She did well enough."

Tsubaki arched an eyebrow. "Did well against Shikaku... Yoshino says he is a maniac at that game."

"Well he was going easy on her." Inochi insisted. "But she played defensively and made Shikaku take his time trying to take her apart. He respected her abilities enough to at least go for a draw before he knocked over her king in one fell swoop."

"That is impressive." Tsubaki contemplated. "For some reason I am worried about that little girl. She just seems so shy and small. Ino is thin for her age because she has my frame and despite her name 'mountain boar' she is a very picky eater. Did she eat when they were here?"

"No. Ino had an apple but that is how she is, she always has a good lunch thanks to Chouji and your wonderful cooking." Inochi smiled.

"Hmm… I…just feel something off about her… like she is trying to hide something. Do you think she is being neglected?" Tsubaki said. If the matter wasn't so serious he would have smiled. His wife was always looking out for children who had nothing having grown up an orphan in the war.

"Well her parents do work about two jobs each. Her mother's sounds like she should be able to get time off, but I have a feeling they are just trying to make ends meet."

"So, we sent the poor child away to an empty home with nothing to eat." Tsubaki said half joking half worried.

Inochi frowned as that very well had been the case. "I…don't know. I would like to meet them if I could. I saw their picture today, but little Sakura said they wouldn't be able to get time off for Parent's Day at the academy, so I doubt we will meet them any time soon."

"Maybe I could lend Sakura some of Ino's old clothes. The one's she was wearing seemed too big- "

"Tsubaki." Inochi interrupted. "I get it my dear. I want to help her too, but we can't just take care of every poor child we meet. Just last week you tried to get Naruto's food budget increased because you thought that was why he is always eating ramen."

Tsubaki sighed. "I know. I just… I know what it feels like. You remember me back then...ratty, hungry, and feeling worthless... I don't want any child to feel like that if I can do something about it."

"We have to think of her parents in this situation though. How would you feel if you were trying to provide for Ino working three jobs and suddenly Ino comes home with a new set of clothes? We don't want them to be suspicious or feeling like their failing." Inochi said. "They are probably worried Child Services are going to try to take their daughter away, or worse…"

"I know dear." Tsubaki said. "And that is why I'd like to help if I can."

"How about we invite them over for dinner through Sakura and get to know them that way?" Inochi said." That way they know us and if we gain their trust they might be willing to accept small things like making Sakura a lunch along with Ino's or watching her for them until they get off work. I think giving her new clothes and supporting her in other ways would be inappropriate."

"Sounds like a plan worthy of Shikaku." Tsubaki said smiling pecking her husband on the cheek before turning in for the night.

:

Sakura liked to wait up for her mom to come home. Her Dad worked over nights, so she got to see him off just as just as he was leaving at sundown. She had given her Dad a big hug and told him she loved him. She didn't want him to worry.

Ever since Ino's house Sakura had been thinking about what Ino said and after gazing at the picture she could see what Ino meant. She looked nothing like her mother except for maybe the green eyes but even then, the shade was all wrong. Her mom's eyes were a dark blue-green while Sakura's were a very light green like spring leaves. Her Dad had her coloring…almost. His hair was a burgundy color. Dark purple with maybe some brown and his eyes were a blue-grey color, but their faces were also completely different.

Sakura dug around her family album for more pictures to compare and found only more pictures of herself and her parents. No grandparents, no aunts and uncles or little cousins like Ino had. Just them. Sakura was starting to worry maybe she was adopted. What worried her more was there was no baby pictures or even maternity pictures. The youngest picture Sakura found of herself with her parents was at age four. Sakura was beginning to panic.

Sakura eventually got desperate and searched her parent's room for any pictures that would prove whether she was adopted or not. In her father's drawer she found a picture that made her blood turn to ice. Staring back at her was a picture of her father and mother dressed as ninja with a forehead protector she didn't recognize alongside several others. They all had brown or blue-ish grey hair in varying shades but one of them stuck out like a sore thumb to her. A young girl, about seventeen in the picture, with soft sandy blond hair and green eyes. Her exact shade of green eyes.

She looked at the faces of all the people in the crowd and-! Sakura heard a bag drop and jumped to see her mother standing in the doorway staring at her with wide eyes. Sakura froze tears already starting to well up in her eyes.

"Sakura! What the hell are you doing with that!" Her mother snapped and rushed over to grab the picture from her numb hands. "What gave you the idea that rummaging around our room was okay?!"

Sakura was beginning to cry at her mother's fury and yelling. "I-I'm sorry…I just…sniff…I just w-wanted… to m-make…sniff…sure I-I w-wasn't adopted…"

Her mother's eyes softened but still retained some anger. "You could have asked you know…"

"I-I'm…sob…s-so…sniff…s-sorry…sniff…m-mommy…" Sakura sniveled. She was doing her best not to break down bawling even though it was what she really wanted to do.

Her mother took a deep breath, put a kind smile on her face, and got down on her knees, so she was I level with Sakura. "Now look sweetie…no matter what you are still our daughter and we love you more than anything…you know that right?"

Sakura sniveled again but nodded. Her mother held her close stroking her hair and waiting for her to calm down some.

"Yes Sakura...you are adopted. We took you in because…I…I got hurt on duty…and doctors told me I could no longer have children…so…gosh this is hard…" Her mother said softly. "You were our little miracle. Your mother loved you, but she had to let you go. Sorry but that is all I can tell you right now."

Sakura was bawling now. It was too much for her to take in. Her mom…her dad… everything… it was too much. Sakura bawled like the child she was in her mother's arms.

:

Sakura woke up in the morning in her mother's arms on her parent's bed still holding the photograph of her biological mother. It was hard to believe the woman holding her in her arms was not her real mom but at the same time more of a mom then her biological mother. It was so confusing it made her head spin. Sakura snuggled closer to her mom's-tired sleeping form. Her smell so familiar and filling her with a sense of warmth. Yes… no matter if she wasn't her actual mother…she was her mom and Sakura loved her.

She was suddenly alerted to the sound of the door opening and seeing her Dad. This man took care of her all her life, protected her, and loved her like his own daughter. Now, he was still the same, just she knew her real Dad was out there somewhere. Hopefully anyways...

Her Dad looked at her and his wife and smiled then froze when he saw what she was holding.

"So...I'm guessing Mebuki explained it to you… I am a little disappointed I didn't get to be there when you first found out…" He asked.

Sakura fumbled around in her mother's arms but couldn't escape when her mother held her closer.

"Ack! Um…Daddy? A little help?" Sakura said weakly struggling a bit in her mother's grip.

Her father chuckled. Then laid down next to her on the bed and Sakura was now nestled between both her parents. Her father nudged her mother. "Honey, it's time to wake up. I can stay up with Sakura until it's time to send her off."

"Nnoooo!" Her mother replied drowsily. "I'm gonna snuggle my cute little daughter until noon!"

"But Mommy you got to go to work!" Sakura reminded her giggling at her mother's antics.

Sakura's mother peeked open an eye and saw her giggling daughter and her smirking husband.

"Okay…But only for you!" she said giving her daughter a kiss on the forehead and reaching over to give her husband a quick peck. "Be good! When I get home tonight I'll cook!"

Her mother left for the shower and she was left giving her dad cuddles. He smelled like fresh cut grass and cigarette smoke. His mustache was prickly, but his hugs were soft.

"So, what did your mother tell ya about? I'll see if I can fill in any blanks." He said. "Start from the beginning."

Sakura told him all about Parent's Day and what happened at Ino's house finally ending with her search of pictures and what he mother told her. He Dad was unusually silent through it all.

"That…is a pretty good summary." He said holding his daughter a smidge tighter, face tight. "We don't actually know who your father is, but I know a little about your mother. I can't tell you though. Mebuki shouldn't have told you anyways. Sorry."

"Can you tell me more about her? About my real mom?" Sakura asked begging for knowledge. "Please?"

Her dad glanced at the clock. "I gotta get to sleep if I am going to get up for work. Never forget that we love you Sakura, but even we have some secrets. Now as tempting as it is to try, please don't go looking for your biological parents and don't tell anyone what you saw. Can you promise me?"

Sakura frowned. She didn't really understand but she trusted her Dad. "I promise Daddy…"

Her Dad smiled ruffling her hair. "I was worried when you said you wanted to become a ninja that you'd find out, but...this makes me feel a little better."

Sakura smiled as she closed the door and got ready for the day. She had a lot to process and even more to plan for. She made herself a promise that she was going to be strong enough to be a ninja. Believe it.

:

It had been a week since her mother's confession and Sakura worked hard to improve her chakra reserves. She was going to need them. They were still smaller than normal causing her to focus more on her general knowledge and taijutsu. She could feel her body becoming stronger from all the body weight exercises she did at the academy. At least she could almost feel it coming along… the one down side about training for Sakura was she couldn't measure her progress very well. Tests they just gave you the grade a week later so she could examine her results and determine where she could work harder next. Trying to see progress after only a week of training was like trying to watch grass grow.

She was not becoming overly muscular like her mother had imagined but slender and lithe. Soon gone would be the baby fat on her body and she would be a lean, mean, fighting machine! Cha!

"Hey honey." Mebuki said approaching her daughter.

"What's up mom?" Sakura said as she kept on crunching. Sakura loved the fact that she could almost see abs now. Maybe in a few more weeks…

"Well since you haven't given this crazy dream of being a ninja up yet, I thought to maybe show you a few family tricks." Mebuki said smirking as Sakura jumped at the chance to learn a new jutsu. "Nothing major mind you but I couldn't help but notice there are a few jutsu that they taught us back in the day that are missing from your skills set."

Sakura began to hurry through her crunches while her mother watched amused at her daughter's antics. Sakura needed a help getting up from doing 'speed' crunches.

Finding a good spot to sit down Mebuki began.

"Back during the third shinobi war there were a few techniques that were required to learn. These are more of finesse techniques and while not necessarily required you can use them to great effect. This was my specialty. There are three jutsu that work off the same principle and we are going to prepare you for the exams by getting you adequate in them."

Sakura nodded. "What are they?"

Mebuki just smiled and made a hand seal to focus her chakra. Sakura suddenly felt a weird feeling of fear as her mother merely smiled and the feeling intensified.

"Okay stop it!" Sakura shivered. "Man, that is really creepy! How did you do that?"

"Oh, that old thing? That was not even a jutsu. It is called amongst shinobi as 'killing intent' or 'bloodlust'. It naturally happens when one wishes to kill another, but it can be used with your chakra to increase its intensity or range. This technique can end a battle before it starts simply by psyching out your opponent." Mebuki said going into what Sakura lovingly called 'lecture mode'. "This technique will be used to help you learn the other techniques you need to know. Chakra sensing and chakra suppression. The final technique will be my specialty, but you must learn how to do the others before I even consider teaching you the last one."

"Okay!" Sakura looked excited. "So how do I do the chakra sensing? Ino mentioned her clan is famous for it!"

Mebuki nodded. "The Yamanaka clan is well known for their mind transfer jutsu, but they are also decent sensors. Get into a meditative state and just 'feel'. Try to sense my chakra as I direct it at you as 'killing intent from over here."

Mebuki walked out some ways away as Sakura got to meditating. Sakura felt the oppressive feel of the chakra and repressed a shiver.

"Now, where am I?" her mother's voice seemed to echo around the clearing.

Sakura focused on the chakra itself, how it interacted with her own, how it worked to cause her fear. Sakura pointed with her eyes closed.

"I think your over there, Mom!" Sakura said opening her eyes only to hear chuckling.

"Not quite." Her mother said standing behind her. "Don't worry they should have been teaching you this at the academy since day one. Sensing an enemy's chakra, where it is, whether it was friend or foe, the condition of their physical and even their mental state can be determined by this technique. I used it to help me find you awhile back when you first began training. I had fallen out of practice, but I have been putting some time into training, so I can teach you these."

"This jutsu is amazing Mom!" Sakura said surprising her mother with a big hug.

"I-it's not that good…I-I mean almost all good ninja know this at least!" Mebuki said flustered at her daughter's praise. She coughed into her hand. "We should be able to practice this jutsu together after you get done with your chores at night. Here is the second one."

Her mother made a hand sign and she seemed to be less…noticeable? Sakura circled her mother trying to figure out what she was doing. Mebuki dropped the hand sign and explained.

"Using chakra control, you can suppress your chakra, so you are nearly invisible to those who can sense chakra. You can even break out of genjutsu this way by suppressing your chakra and then causing it to 'explode' from your body. For this exercise walk out to the woods and hide suppressing your chakra so you blend into the background." Mebuki instructed. Sakura promptly obeyed finding a tree to climb and did the technique like her mother. She imagined her chakra blending in with all around her and then like a hollow tree she waited.

Mebuki felt her daughter suppress her chakra almost immediately but still felt her trail. Walking into the woods she 'felt' the chakra around her and finally smiled. Leaping into the tree next to her cute little daughter silently she approached her and grabbed her causing her little girl to squeak and both nearly falling out of the tree.

"How did you find me!?" Sakura said.

"Mother's instincts." Mebuki deadpanned. "Also, you tried to blend your chakra in with the surrounding area which is good, but you didn't change the signature so 'you' was spread all over making it easier to find you. When you use this technique, you are supposed to 'tighten' it so it is less noticeable before you move then change the signature and then blend it into the surrounding area. Don't worry! For your first time you did amazing."

Now remember each of these techniques I am teaching you can also be used in a civilian setting as well. A bit of killing intent can make bandits less likely to attack you. Chakra suppression is good for when you need to hide from an ex. Sensing can help you find lost children. There are dozens of ways you can use techniques meant for ninja in daily lives. There is one last technique I would like to show you."

"Okay!" Sakura said excited to see what her mother wanted to teach her. To her surprise her mother flipped through some hand seals she recognized.

"Transform!" Mebuki said and she was engulfed in a puff of smoke.

The smoke cleared revealing a rock. Sakura looked around for her mother but figured she must have substituted with the rock.

"Mommy? Where are you?" Sakura called.

To her immense surprise the rock sighed. "Right here Sakura."

"What? Mommy you turned into a rock!" Sakura exclaimed pointing at her in surprise.

The rock turned back into her mother. "Looks like they don't teach 'em like they used to… Sakura… that is literally the oldest trick in the book…Alright! Never mind that! Here is the thing to keep in mind, ninja are never knights in shining armor no matter what the old man Hokage is spouting now a days. If you want to fight and die for your leader or your village on the front lines of some battlefield for the honor and glory quit being a ninja right now and I'll see if I can't pull a few strings to get you apprenticed under a samurai. We are ninja. Our realm is the shadows. If you are caught in the middle of a clearing before your enemy you're a target and deserve to die. Getting caught is a fate far worse than death for a ninja. That's honestly why I quit in the first place, but I'll be damned if my little girl doesn't at least know how to do basic ninjutsu!"

Sakura was honestly shocked at her mother's tirade.

"What ninja tools are you proficient in so far at the academy?" Mebuki asked suddenly.

"Um…we just started learning kunai and shuriken." Sakura said hesitantly before brightening. "I can also make a smoke bomb!"

Mebuki took a deep breath. "How about jutsu? You know the ten basic jutsu right?"

"Ten? I thought there were only three?" Sakura asked in total confusion while Mebuki's eye twitched in irritation. "I know the transformation jutsu, but I am not too good at it yet and we just barely started on the substitution jutsu. What are the ten?"

"Art of Transformation, Art of Substitution, Art of the Clone, Art of the Cloak of Invisibility, Art of The Rope Escape, Art of Concealing, Art of Chakra Enhancement, Art of Basic Seals, Art of Ninja tools, and Art of Sensing." Mebuki said softly. She sounded angry. "Have you ever even heard of the others besides the first three?"

"N-no?" Sakura said trying not to sound too scared.

Mebuki sighed deeply. "Alright. I'll teach you. Keep up with your physical training and I'll work on a supplementary curriculum for you. Damn clan ninja…"

"What's wrong with clan ninja?" Sakura asked taking Mebuki by surprise.

"U-um…well…I uh… Ahem… Clan ninja were probably the ones to take out all this 'unnecessary' stuff from the curriculum in the first place. Take the art of sensing for example. The Inuzuka clan get more revenue if they are literally the only ones who can track by adding chakra to their senses though anyone can do it. Also, the art of seals. It is a very complicated art form that some clans like the Hyuuga clan just don't like their clan members knowing about. "Mebuki said bitterly. "Infiltration? 'Why should my kid have to be stuck in infiltration when all he has to do is put up a transformation jutsu?' or 'He's never even going to use that course! We Akamichi just grow into ridiculously huge meat shields anyways! Leave the infiltration to the Yamanaka's!' Pretty much the clans don't like doing certain things and that leads to specialization. Specialization is bad as a ninja. The only thing you should really specialize in as a ninja is stealth! This ends up leading to the academy standards being lower, so certain individuals can pass, and a generation of non-clan kids don't get the training they need and serve as fodder for the 'real ninja'."

Sakura looked shocked learning all this. "But that is not fair!"

Mebuki looked at her child. "In a way yes, but what else do you expect? Lying, stealing, doing everything you can to get ahead. It is all part of the job description. These people are literally bred to take advantage of one another. What other purpose is there for a magic eye that can copy jutsu after seeing it once? You honestly think a ninja isn't going to take that and run with it? Hell, I know several ninja that have made their entire career just on that shtick alone."

Mebuki took a seat on the ground with her eyes closed. "You are going to be an oddball. I suspect the only ones to pass the Genin test will be the clan ninja give or take a random non-clan ninja to even the odds given what you've told me and my own observations."

"Wh-what? But that can't be! I mean Naruto, me, even Ami and her gang they are about as good as each other in the case of Naruto he is the dead last of the class!"

Mebuki looked sharply at Sakura. "Your class is about thirty strong right? Well even in the best-case scenario the academy will narrow it down to about half. Not everyone passes. That is just a fact of life. A ninja who has below average scores shouldn't be allowed on the field out of consideration of the cost of the student's life. However, that is not the case in the village. Next in line in class would probably be…you said there was an Inuzuka in your class, Kiba right? Also, there is the Nara boy… so he is probably lazy as all get out… and I am going to guess that Akamichi boy is also in your class, good people but not the brightest. I'm going to guess the current dead lasts of the ninja academy are going to be Naruto, Kiba, the Nara, and the Akimichi. If this was a fair sort of test, then all of them would probably get shafted for having low grades but they are most likely going to be the ones most likely to pass."

"Why?!" Sakura said getting upset. "Why are they going to pass, and others have to repeat years?! That's just not fair!"

"Sakura! Life isn't fair! Get over it! You were shafted simply being my daughter! You also are in the same class with literally every major clan representing… Akamichi's own every major bar in the village and most restaurants, Inuzuka's control the veterinarians, animal shelters, and also have a corner in tracking ninja, Nara's are park rangers, maintain most of the training grounds, and animal reserves, and Naruto well…he is probably as unlucky as you can get with his clan gone and as an orphan, but he also has a fair chance at being a ninja. The Uzumaki's are one of the founding clans of the village! It's almost as good as being a Senju, Uchiha, Hyuuga or Sarutobi in Konoha. Dead lasts are usually put on a team with the two best and brightest. This is always touted as fairness and all that, but it is a failsafe to make sure the clan kid or the one the Hokage has his eye on gets in a good spot."

Mebuki looked down. "No matter how you slice it you are the underdog in a world with clans and bloodlines. You will always be upstaged by anyone who has a last name with some money behind it. That is why you are going to need earn that damn spot. You see now why I was so against it? I watched good people, good ninja, have their places taken from them, have to make way for new generations of clan shinobi simply because, when you get right down to it, even in Konoha if you are a non-clan ninja you are fodder, red shirts, and expendable. Don't get me wrong Konoha is leagues better than places like Sand or Mist but you have no idea how many of my friends and classmates I saw leave for missions never come back simply because they weren't specialized enough to be kept safe. You have no last name, no special skills, a girl, and have a snowball's chance in an Uchiha fire jutsu of making it. I'll help you for as long as I can but even if you do make it by some miracle just thinking about losing you is enough to kick start my PTSD and depression. I literally cannot watch another one of my loved ones die. It would kill me."

Sakura was shaking with anger and with sadness and frustration. It wasn't fair! She wanted to be a ninja so badly! She wanted to prove she could do it despite the risks. Finally, she made up her mind. "Mommy…I'm going to become a ninja… Even if I have to keep trying year after year. I have a…goal. I am going to become strong enough, so you don't have to worry about me dying. Will you help me with that Mommy?"

Mebuki looked so scared and so shaken Sakura could almost hear her mother's heart breaking. Tears began to fall from glossy eyes. "Sakura…I am so…scared of losing you…If you died…I die too…please…just…stay with me…you don't have to go through that…please…"

Sakura ran up to her mother and hugged her tightly. "M-mommy…I can't…I can't stay with you forever…I will always be your daughter! Always! But I got to be at least able to defend myself…I-I get bullied a lot at school…I just want to be strong…strong enough to make people stop making fun of me…maybe strong enough to protect someone else from being hurt…I'm scared of dying…but…I'm more scared of sitting back at just watching…not being able to do anything…not proving to myself that I have a chance to make a difference in this world…"

Mebuki held her tighter crying into her shoulder.

"I can't honey… I really just can't… I only know this much…but I won't stop you…in return you aren't allowed to die okay?" Mebuki said red rimmed turquoise eyes meeting brilliant green. "You have to promise me okay. No matter what you aren't allowed to die!"

"I promise Mommy." Sakura said with solemnness.

"Alright. For now, we will work on the 'hide and seek' exercise till you get it down." Mebuki said finally releasing her little baby girl. She felt her hollowness fade as she saw her baby girl smile at her.

"Okay Mommy!" Sakura said playfully tagging her mother. "You're it! Find me if you can!"

Mebuki wiped her tears and watched as her daughter disappeared into the woods. "Run fast my fragile hope…"


	4. Family

Chapter 4: Family

A/N: This week will be a special one. I will try to upload a chapter every other day or so. I got some time off from work so I have so much free time I chose to write. I am honestly bored so why not? Coming the end of this week things will be turning back to normal with a once a week update schedule. Shout out to Suzululu4moe for being the first to review! Thank you so much! If any of you have any questions I am always game to answer!

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When Kizashi came home late again he hung his coat on the coat rack and sat down at the foot of the stairs while he rested his tired body and took his boots off. It had been another long day in the rice fields. His home was dark yet cozy. As he took his boots off he smiled at the small red shoes his daughter wore next to his wife's simple leather ones. He lined them up with the rest of his family's and headed to the living room. Noticing a light on in the kitchen however he went in and found his wife with a tall bottle and a small glass. Frowning as he recognized the bottle he moved into the kitchen. Mebuki was holding the shot glass and swishing around the clear liquid, already drunk as a skunk.

"What's the occasion?" Kizashi asked pulling out a small red chair and sitting down at the circular table.

Mebuki look up slowly. She was already pretty hammered but poured herself another glass. "Damn her… stupid, stubborn… your daughter is a stubborn girl..."

Kizashi chuckled taking a seat next to his inebriated wife. "Tried to talk her out of it again?"

Mebuki nodded and downed the shot. "You know what she told me? I told her…that she had a snowball's chance in an Uchiha's fire jutsu... of actually making rank with all these damn clan ninja…"

Kizashi took the glass from her and poured himself a shot. Mebuki frowned as he didn't hand the glass back to her and kept the bottle on his side of the table.

"She has that bad of a shot huh?" Kizashi asked taking a sip and hissing as the harsh liquid hit the back of his throat.

"Yup." Mebuki said popping the 'p'. "You know what she said? She said…She said that she knew…she freaking knew that the odds were bad…an' she wanted to do it anyway…said she was more scared of doing nothing then getting killed…sitting by and watching…she said it was worse than dying…"

Kizashi winced. Way to hit a sore spot… no wonder she was so hammered…

Mebuki sighed. "She asked me if I would teach her."

This time Kizashi was surprised. "What did you tell her?"

Mebuki was quiet for a long time. It took a moment to realize because her head was down but Kizashi finally recognized she was crying.

"I don't want her to die. It would kill me to lose my baby while I just…I just can't…but just…damn you Kizashi… damn her…damn it all!" Mebuki cried into her arms.

Kizashi got up and walked over to his wife and hugged her. Seeing she was starting to fall asleep he picked her up and carried her up the stairs to bed and tucked her in. Kissing his wife softly he went and checked on Sakura. There inside her small bright pink bedroom she was curled up tucked in a ball surrounded by tons of fluffy stuffed animals. He took a moment and just took in the scene. The peace and tranquility…he breathed it in. The last few years had been peaceful. Konoha was finally healing after the nine-tailed fox attack and yet here was his baby girl asking to becoming a ninja because she didn't want to sit back and take this peace sitting down… What he would have given to grow up in such a time. He had been born around the time of the close of the second great shinobi war. He remembered well the long lines for rations. People leaving and never coming back. Not knowing who to trust. All of it. Sakura lived in such a peaceful time comparatively, but even then, he could not envy her life.

What many failed to realize was that each generation had their own issues. In his and Mebuki's it was war and poverty and horror but even that life was better than the warring states periods or the time of the first shinobi war where it was uncommon for shinobi children to reach the age of fourteen let alone adulthood. Now the ninja average life expectancy was 25-30 for active duty and about twice that for inactive. No Sakura would have her own problems. She just wanted to be ready for them and face them head on. In his own way he was scared for his little girl. Scared of the danger she would be in. Scared what she would find out about herself. Scared of the pressure she would be put under to perform. Scared of her dying. Yes, that was all there. But at the same time, he felt a bit of pride in his baby girl for trying to face the world on her terms. He wouldn't control her or make her stay so he just had to sit back and be there for her. Just like he was for Mebuki.

"Stay strong little one. Never forget how much we care for you…I'll protect you as long as I can…" Kizashi said softly before shutting the door and getting some well-deserved rest while his little girl dreamed of a future with less blood and horror.

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Sakura left her home to school the next day, not for the first time in the last week or so, wondering about her biological parents. Her mom used to be a ninja, they knew her mom but not her dad, they won't talk about her and they don't anyone to talk about the picture.

Sakura wished she could see the picture of her mother again. She was forced to give it back after her Dad remembered she still had it. By the time she was out the door she knew she would never see the photo again.

As much as she knew her parents loved her she now had a big hole in her heart that she wasn't sure what would fill it. She had so many questions! Did her mother really love her or was there some other reason she was given up for adoption? Would she be proud of her? Was she even alive? What traits did she have from her other than green eyes? Was she even nice? She was a ninja so did she kill people?

Her parents wouldn't even tell her, her mother's name...it was just a lot to take in...

Sakura was kind of absent minded through the whole day up until lunch. She even got a question wrong! Normally she was able to remember knowledge and spout it back no problems.

When Sakura was eating her meager lunch, she was glomped by Ino.

"Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorry!" Ino said not releasing Sakura from her bone crushing hug.

"Y-you're…forgiven…" Sakura choked out. "What…did…you…do?"

After Sakura was released Ino explained. "After you left Daddy pulled me aside and gave me the talking to of the century for insinuating that your mom and dad were not your real parents! He said it was even more untactful then I normally was, so he used mental punishment! I got three brain jolts! Waaah!"

"Brain jolts?" Sakura said holding her shuddering friend.

"Daddy uses the clan jutsu on me and jolts me. It feels like getting surprised really bad and you get a small headache afterwards. I only get them when I did something really bad like the time I embarrassed him in front of the Dynamo by telling the guy he was fat and he didn't need that last egg roll!"

Sakura just felt a little life go out of her just thinking about it. It sounded like Ino at her worst alright. She even said it to the Dynamo...the freaking Dynamo...

"Ino…that was full…Naruto…you went full Naruto...you never go full Naruto." Sakura said trying to explain it.

Ino hung her head. "Naruto is not that bad…I'm sure if he had my Daddy to jolt him he would be better in a week. Are we going to discuss the fact my Daddy used electroshock therapy as a punishment or are you going to really forgive me?"

"I already forgave you and…you weren't wrong." Sakura said.

Ino was on her in nanoseconds. "Girl I need details! I mean…unless…you don't want to tell me…"

Sakura debated on whether or not to tell Ino. It was pretty secret, and Dad obviously didn't want her to tell anyone. Sakura decided for a half truth.

"I am adopted, but they don't really know who my parents are, so they kept it a secret." Sakura said.

"I knew it! Sakura you're gonna be special one day I just know it!" Ino said.

"Huh?" Sakura asked.

"Sakura." Ino said seriously. "According to all the stories I read you have a fifty-fifty chance of either being a foreign princess or you have some long-lost bloodline release that some devil king will try to take, maybe both!"

Ino read a lot of manga, most of them trashy romances with reverse harems and super villains. She had gotten Sakura to read some of them and Sakura couldn't help but feel they were very childish...who doesn't decide between one very gorgeous vampire and a rather strapping werewolf? Sakura wanted to know why they were even on the table! She knew the main character would be killed in seconds!

"Or maybe I am the secret princess and you are my daughter from the future where I marry Sasuke and you came back in time to warn me about the upcoming destruction of the moon!" Ino said. She was on a roll.

"Ino. Even your manga is more realistic. I don't have a bloodline, and I doubt the princess thing." Sakura said. "Besides what kind of manga would use a pink haired time traveler as their main plot device? And wouldn't Sasuke's kids have black hair and black eyes like he does?"

"Hmm…not necessarily. Clan genes remember? Daddy's overpowered my mom's even though they were dominate genes." Ino said confidently flicking her hair. "I could totally pass on these colors."

"But a daughter with pink hair and green eyes from you and Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

"Either you dyed it to try and be incognito or you are a genetic mutation." Ino said off hand.

"Uh-Huh." Sakura said returning to her lunch.

They continued their banter until a lull in the conversation appeared and Ino was fidgeting.

"Do you want to try dyeing it?" Ino asked suddenly.

"What?" Sakura said.

"Dyeing your hair. Do you want to try it?" Ino said.

"What for?" Sakura asked.

"So, you can stay safe!" Ino said. "Look I know you don't have a bloodline but there are crazy people that want that sort of thing. Any weird genetic markings could make you a target!"

"What about you then?" Sakura asked suspicious that Ino just wanted to use her for make-over practice. Last time had been fun, but her mother had scolded her for making herself look like a clown

"I have clan protection, can pass myself off as being from Cloud or Sand village if necessary and while uncommon blonde isn't that rare and doesn't automatically jump at you and scream 'I have a bloodline!'. I mean just look at Naruto." Ino grumbled.

"And the pupil-less eyes?" Sakura asked.

"Uncommon but not rare and they aren't pupil-less! We went over this!" Ino said. She blinked, and Sakura saw her eyes with pupils in them. "Also, minor genjutsu if needed. Daddy made me practice it until I could do it with a single hand seal and maintain it for a solid hour."

Her eyes became pupil-less once again. "Any other excuses?"

Sakura flushed embarrassed. "My parents don't have that kind of money."

"Oh…" Ino said brow furrowing in contemplation. "Well we need to keep you safe. There was a rumor going around a few years that a girl was nearly abducted right out of the village by someone trying to steal a bloodline and I don't want my friend to be abducted on a mission so if worse comes to worse I can ask Daddy to help out."

"I could never do that!" Sakura squeaked. "Maybe there is a fund for that in the village board?"

"Maybe… we could definitely ask Mr. Iruka about it." Ino said. "He would know…"

Sakura gave Ino a soft hug. Ino was surprised but hugged her back warmly. She was nice to hug.

"Thank you." Sakura whispered.

"Anytime." Ino said with a smile. The lunch bell rang telling everyone it was time to come back inside with gusto.

"Come on! We are gonna be late!" Ino said taking Sakura's hand dragging her off to class. Sakura couldn't help but smile. She was such a good friend.

"You want to know if there is a fund held in the village to help students with unusual hair colors to avoid detection by bloodline poachers by supplying them with hair dye?" Iruka ask. "Is that the gist of it?"

Ino was nodding and Sakura as usual was holding Ino's hand and trying not to hide behind her. Iruka was considered the 'scary teacher' because he was stricter, had a scar, and had a temper, but he was normally okay as long as you didn't actively provoke him.

"So, you would like to use law 313 under subsection 4 of the Bloodline protection act passed recently in the light of the Uchiha-er…Downfall?" Iruka asked again.

"See I told you he would know!" Ino said boisterous as ever.

"H-h-how d-do I-I ap-p-ply…?" Sakura managed to stutter out. She was still not comfortable talking to the male teachers yet, but her friendship with Ino made it so Sakura could at least approach him. Iruka was only happy to help.

"I can get you the form and you talk to your parents to see if you can apply for it. Then you take it to the Hokage's office and his secretary should be able to file it and the Hokage will look it over to see if village funds will cover buying something like hair dye to avoid bloodline poachers when he has time. He goes through a lot of paperwork in a day. I bet he will get to it in no time." Iruka said half slipping into 'lecture mode' as the kids called it.

"Thanks Mr. Iruka!" Ino said giving a big smile and a thumb up.

"Y-yes thank y-you!" Sakura stuttered with a sweet smile.

This sort of thing was what made teaching worth it to Iruka. After they left he got to work getting the paperwork together. He hoped the Haruno's were proud of their little girl being so proactive!

In the days following Sakura had learned that her mother was a wellspring of knowledge and that she had a near perfect memory. That your mother could remember everything with photographic accuracy was a frightening prospect for any eight-year-old.

"Look Sakura my parents made sure when I was a baby to do the perfect memory training. They wanted me to be a ninja so bad…I never did it to you because I didn't think you wanted to become a ninja." Mebuki said taking a can out of the cooler she had brought and cracked it open. "Now that you want to be a ninja it is useful…"

"But, even if you see something scary you will remember it perfectly?" Sakura asked frightened.

Mebuki nodded taking a sip of a can Sakura was pretty sure wasn't soda, but her mother wasn't about to admit that she had trouble staying sober when thinking about ninja stuff. "Yeah and it will haunt your nightmares for years to come. However, you can choose not to remember it. It is just if you get a mental trigger you will suddenly be flashed the memory. If that happens imagine your mind going 'Next!' and try to swap the memory to something nice. It's a nice tool to have too as it can really help in your studies or if you upstart daughter suddenly decides she wants to actually become a ninja and you have to remember things you haven't seen or done in a decade or so."

Sakura tried not to pout at her mother's snark. Mebuki looked thoughtful.

"Oh yeah… have you noticed you seem to 'feel' more than your class mates? You know get weepy when someone isn't really that mean in hindsight or when you get angry you get like" Mebuki made a 'boom' sound. "Furious?"

Sakura explained what happened the day Ino told her she had no prospects and also about the bullies at school.

"Yeah, you probably got it worse than I did back in the day on that front. I always had problems relating to people because I would get worked up too quickly. Your father likes to call me a 'tsundere' or a 'teddy-bear'. Damn nerd." Mebuki said taking another drink. "Alright… I am going to show you how to make an 'Inner'. Technically it isn't healthy, but it can come in handy later on."

"An 'Inner'?" Sakura asked.

"You know, like in the rom-coms your dad and I watch where the guy or girl has feelings for the other guy or girl and they hide it looking cool on the outside but inside they're freaking out?" Mebuki tries explaining running a hand through her hair. "Or maybe an evil twin? Yeah…I don't really know how to explain it but here…let's sit down."

Sakura and Mebuki sat down on the grass facing each other.

"Okay so close your eyes and imagine a big room. It can be however you like. Now imagine a 'self' in that room. What do you look like?" Mebuki instructed.

Sakura closed her eyes and more or less imagined her secret base but with less forest and more clear, blue skies. Then she imagined a kitty cat there rolling around in the fallen leaves and mewing happily.

"I'm a kitty cat." Sakura said.

"Sure kid. This is your mind, so you do you." Mebuki said with a smile. "Alright so when you get mad or sad like you're about to cry put those feelings in the room and let them play out but outside in the real world don't let it show. It usually helps me to say a little prayer as well. Doesn't hurt to have the gods on your side."

"What's your room like?" Sakura asked.

Mebuki thought for a moment. "My 'room' is a graveyard. It is a quiet place, reverent even. Sometimes it can be scary but sometimes it is just a quiet place for me to be alone."

Sakura thought about it. "That actually sounds really nice. You take me to visit grandpa sometimes and the graveyard isn't too scary."

Mebuki smiled. "Yes. I guess. So, you have a kitty cat in there, what else?"

Sakura blushed. "It is pretty much my secret base."

"Ah." Mebuki said getting up. "Well if you start feeling a certain way try using the 'Inner' to express it instead of your 'Outer' face."

"Hey mom?" Sakura asked.

"Yes baby?" Mebuki said softly.

"Thanks." Sakura said a slight blush coming over her. "For helping me."

"No problem." Mebuki said walking away. "Just remember your promise."

With that Sakura was left to dream.

The next day Sakura had off from the academy and even training for a very special reason. It was time to spend with her Daddy fishing. Her father's jokes were pretty bad, and fishing wasn't her favorite thing in the world but something about the way he told her stories as they fished, cuddled her close, or the way he would ask about her training her feel special and wanted.

The trek to the river where they liked to fish was a long one. The spring buds and the way the forest smelled at this time of year set her mind at ease. She was nearly done with her second year at the academy and would be turning nine soon. Sakura had learned she was actually the youngest in her class except for another girl named Yuki, so everyone else was already ten and Yuki would be stuck at eight. Sakura was already starting to feel herself develop into a woman and while her mother was very good at explaining it all to her, her father was the one who gave her the most reassurance that she was both pretty and wanted. Her father however tended to undercut this with his dumb jokes but lately he had been getting better at it.

Finally, they arrived at the fishing hole. Sakura helped her father set up and they set their lines out.

"You are working pretty hard with your training." Kizashi said with a smile. "It must be tough on a young flower."

"It's not too bad. The academy is actually pretty basic compared to mommy's training." Sakura said with a slight huff.

"Your mother working you to the bone?" Kizashi asked.

"Yeah. She is teaching me everything I need to know." Sakura said quietly.

"Hmm. Maybe." Kizashi said looking up at the sky for a minute. "I think I can teach you some things too."

Sakura regarded her father curiously. "Like what?"

"Well nothing really that can help you survive like your mother keeps touting. I am a farmer. My father was a farmer and his father was a foot soldier from the land of snow." Kizashi said tiredly as if he had said it a thousand times. "Your mother's line probably similar. She comes from a little village in the land of rivers that boarders the land of wind and fire. Hence the green eyes."

Kizashi reeled in and cast out again. "Have I ever told you the story of your grandfather?"

Sakura prepared herself for a long story. When her father got talking about family history he could talk for hours.

"Not really." Sakura said. It was true after all.

"Well your grandfather used to tell my father all about it and he would tell me. Anyways your grandfather Yozakura was a Samurai from the Land of Iron. He had a noble bloodline, but he lost it one fateful night. While much of Samurai culture was absorbed into the culture of the Shinobi much of what was in now gone. One ritual however is still prevalent amongst Shinobi but not in its original form. Seppuku, or ritualistic suicide to protect or regain one's honor." Kizashi said eyes staring blankly out into the water. "Shinobi only kept the part where they kill themselves if they had dishonored their Lord or Kage. Even then they only employ it to silence themselves, so information cannot be spread if they are captured. In Samurai culture it can be for something as little as losing an important battle or, in the case of your great grandfather, so one could die undefeated."

Sakura felt a strange feeling of revulsion at the thought but kept quiet out of respect for the culture of the people involved. The Land of Fire had lost much of the culture it had been founded on but still retained much as well. Now that Sakura thought about it she supposed that there were many aspects of the Samurai amongst the Shinobi.

"Well this was during the warring states period. Back then Samurai had already been in the decline for a while and their honor, what they held most dear, was being stripped away and the Samurai way was falling apart and being replaced by those without honor. To a Samurai this was a great insult. To preserve their honor and the honor of their clans many Samurai committed Seppuku to keep their honor pure or in recompense for one of their clan betraying the Samurai way and becoming Shinobi." Kizashi continued. "Your grandfather Yozakura was chosen as a young boy to be the 'honor keeper'. Basically, when the Samurai had finished gutting himself like a fish, Yozakura would be the one to end his existence 'mercifully' and behead the gutted man in a single stroke. As anything less than one stroke would be considered a great dishonor and as such only personal friends or family members would be allowed to extend such a mercy. Yozakura however… had to behead his own father.

"He was only fifteen years old. He had hesitated because of the love he had for his father and a second beheaded him instead. Yozakura felt like he had betrayed his father but did not commit Seppuku as he would later say 'I extended my father's suffering, so I should suffer'. Instead he became a foot soldier, fighting battle after battle against newly turned Shinobi. Samurai who had given up on honor in exchange for power and conquest. Yozakura never stooped that low. He kept the laws of Bushido despite having no more ties with his family. A 'foot soldier' is a bit of a stretch but it is what he is best described as. He was really more of a humble Samurai. One who fought not for honor nor even pay but because he loved the people he served. A ronin."

Sakura had been silent during the tale but couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride in her heritage.

"Yozakura would later marry a woman named Hanami from the Land of Snow, which boarders the Land of Iron and her children bore the bright pink or dark pink hair common of her clan of Samurai before they became Shinobi. Hanami would later go on to say at that moment she had fallen in love with Yozakura, not for his skill, but for his obvious honor, grace, and kindness." Kizashi said fondly. "Yozakura would later decide to settle down and till the land. Our family has been happy as farmers ever since."

Despite the length of the stories Sakura would always end up starry-eyed and hanging on to her Dad's every word.

Sakura was completely lost but mystified by her father's words. Suddenly her bobber went down, and Sakura yanked up immediately.

"Huh? Alright!" Kizashi said helping his daughter reel in the fish. "Haha! Fish on! Oh! He is a big one! We are gonna have some sushi tonight!"

The fish was a big one alright. After a long fight and her father helping her the fish was pulled in. They were so lucky the line didn't snap! He was nearly the size of Sakura and weighed at least twenty pounds!

Kizashi directed her as she cleaned it and put it in the cooler she had been sitting on. "Good job honey. I am glad you caught one. Also sorry for rambling. You know how I get."

Sakura smiled sitting down on the cooler. "No problem Daddy. I'm just happy to spend time with you…"

This warmed Kizashi's heart and made it sink at the same time. He had a hard life as a farmer. He woke up early to be to work on time and often didn't come home till late. He was proud of his farming heritage but sometimes it could be hard raising a family.

"I am too pumpkin." Kizashi said casting out again. It was already nearly sunset. They needed to go home soon so they could have dinner and so Kizashi would get enough sleep for work the next day.

"Hey Daddy…" Sakura asked slowly. "Do you think warrior women are...pretty?"

Kizashi smiled and gave Sakura a tight side hug. "Of course. Why do you think I married your mother? She's a warrior woman if I ever saw one. What you thinking of marrying one?"

Sakura flushed. "N-no! I just…"

When Sakura trailed off her father sighed. "Who does Daddy need to kill?"

"What?!" Sakura squeaked.

"Any boy who likes my little daughter needs to be destroyed." Her father said with a serious tone but mirth in his eyes.

"You can't destroy him!" Sakura said blushing furiously.

"Ah. So, there is a boy." Kizashi said frowning. "Hmm…now which to choose? The battle axe would be too obvious…better go with poison…"

"Daddy!" Sakura exclaimed mortified. "You can't kill Sasuke!"

Sakura covered her mouth with both hands eyes wide as she realized her error.

"So…Sasuke huh? Nice boy huh? My daughter obviously has good taste, so he can't be ugly." Kizashi teased.

Sakura was bright red but bowed her head defeated. "His name is Sasuke Uchiha… He is the best at everything in class and he isn't ugly…"

"So, is he pretty? You know I won't allow you to marry anyone who doesn't have some dirt under his fingernails." Kizashi said. Dirt under the fingernails to him was a sign of hard work.

"He beats everyone in taijutsu, ninjutsu and genjutsu." Sakura explained. "He is…pretty. He has these eyes…"

"Most people do." Kizashi interjected earning a pout from Sakura. "Alright fine. Go on."

"Well…his eyes are a deep, deep black. Once I thought they were hypnotizing but now they make me go weak in the knees and my heart flutters whenever I see them. They look so…sad…but strong. There is a fire in his eyes that make my face heat up just thinking about it." Sakura confessed. "I…think I like him."

Kizashi was silent as she explained. When Sakura looked up she saw her father crying manly tears. "Daddy?"

"They grow up so fast!" Kizashi sniffed. "My little girl…her first crush…all of it!"

"Daddy." Sakura said snuggling up closer to her father. "You know I'll always be your little girl, right?"

"I know it is just hard…" Kizashi said with a smile. "Heartbreaking even."

Sakura looked down. Kizashi frowned.

"Sakura I was joking before about killing him but if he broke your heart I'm gonna have words with him." Kizashi said seriously.

"N-no…he didn't…not really." Sakura said slowly. "I just couldn't say I liked him properly…but he didn't really refuse it…"

Kizashi nodded. "Yeah, guys can be pretty dumb about that sort of thing. What did he say?"

"I think he thought I was challenging him to a fight…" Sakura said slowly. Her father facepalmed.

"Do people often challenge him?" Kizashi asked weakly. How dense was this kid? Or did his daughter really biff it?

"Not really. He gets challenged a lot by Naruto, but I don't think that counts as Naruto challenges everybody." Sakura said.

"Hmm…Sakura you aren't just training so this boy will notice you right?" Kizashi asked.

"No!" Sakura denied immediately. Kizashi quirked an eyebrow. "Well maybe at first…I still like him…a lot…but he told me to become stronger than come back. As I have been training and learning from Mommy and I just…I just want to be stronger…I want to prove I can do this. That I can become a great ninja… To mom…and to myself…"

Kizashi was quiet for a beat. "Than do it. Chase your dreams and don't look back. Just remember what we taught you and remember where you come from. If you want to become stronger I will not fault you. If you find yourself trying to become stronger for some boy, however pretty, know it won't turn out well. Never measure your worth as a person against someone else and never depend on another's happiness to make yourself happy. That can only lead to heartache. Stand tall on your own two feet and pull the rest of people around you up while you reach for the sky!"

Sakura blinked owlishly.

"Sorry…" Kizashi said. "That last bit came from a fortune cookie… probably an anime as well…"

Sakura giggled. "It's okay. It's good advice."

With that Kizashi and Sakura packed up and went home with their big catch and warm hearts.


	5. Nothing

Chapter 5:

A/N: Sorry about the late update…and about the errors…. note to self: never copy and paste…Anyways! Thank you for reading and as always, Please Review!

…

Sakura was currently trying to escape from rope bindings. It was a very basic skill in a shinobi's arsenal. Being able to escape from bindings was part of the substitution jutsu. Her mother had been very stringent about her learning it as well.

"Sakura you need to be able to escape in seconds if not in the blink of an eye. You are young and flexible, so this should be easy!" Her mother snapped as Sakura struggled to remove the ropes from a classic prisoner bind. Hands out front even. Sakura funneled her chakra into the ropes and tried to manipulate them into moving. If the jutsu was done right the user would be able to use chakra to loosen the ropes just enough for one to struggle out of it.

Focusing she could feel the chakra move the ropes and she was free. Mebuki clicked the stopwatch then wrote down the time on her clip board. "01:34:12. Sigh…Sakura that was thirty seconds slower than last time!"

"Sorry mommy…" Sakura said holding her arms out again to be retied. Her mother assisted her by tying her wrists and ankles again.

"It's okay. When practicing your kunai even Jonin will miss their bullseye once in a while. Soon you will be able to do it in under a second." Mebuki said after cinching the ropes tight again.

Sakura focused herself this time. She felt her chakra building in her stomach coils. Her chakra flowed into the parts of her that were bound, flowing into the ropes and then…release! Sakura jumped into a ready stance free of the bindings.

"Nice one! 00:58:12!" Mebuki said writing down the time. "I that was nearly on par with your personal best! Good job!"

Sakura smiled. She was making progress.

….

Iruka looked at the tiny girl before him with an incredulous look. "You want me to teach you how to create your own ninjutsu?"

Sakura shuffled some, the nervousness getting to her. "Or taijutsu."

"Or taijutsu." Iruka parroted hollowly. "Right. I can't really…um…do that…"

"Why not?" Sakura asked.

"Because I don't know how." Iruka said. "The creation of a new jutsu…is usually a Jonin level skill for a reason and given how many elites there are in the village that means not many jutsu are left for the taking and even then, most are just variations of the same style that works for them."

Big, bright, green eyes seemed to stare into Iruka's soul. "I see…"

Iruka felt a little guilty to disappoint a curious student. "Well… you could ask the Hokage next time he comes to give a speech. I'm sure he could help. He is known as the Professor after all!"

Sakura brightened. "Alright! I can do that!"

Iruka smiled. "How is training coming?"

Sakura practically beamed at him. "It's really good! Mommy has been helping me!"

Iruka patted her on the head. "That is good. Oh! I am almost done with the paper work to apply to for that village fund you wanted to know about. I am going to need an interview with your parents to go over the basics as those are general tax form information but after that I can put in a request to the Hokage to have an audience to discuss the need. He should approve it seeing as you are clearly not a bloodline holder or a clan Shinobi and are thus in danger."

"Wow! You're amazing Master Iruka!" Sakura said excited.

Iruka flushed from the praise. "Now get running! Mizuki sensei will make you do extra laps if you're late!"

Sakura blanched and scurried off putting a big smile on Iruka's face. She was an interesting one alright. Now with all the paper work in order all she needed to do was tell her parents!

….

Her father's wince became increasingly visible as Sakura told him about her conversation with Ino and Iruka's paper work.

"All that's left is for you and Mommy to meet with Master Iruka and then the Hokage!" Sakura beamed.

"That…is a very good point Sakura, but…um…well…we can't exactly do that…" her father said uneasily. "I mean the Hokage is a busy man! We shouldn't bother him!"

Sakura frowned. "But this is going to be in a few months Daddy. We will be there with permission and we will have paper work to prove we need to talk with him. I have to have my hair dyed or I could be made a target."

"Well…don't you think it would be beneficial? Kind of like those two snakes where they are both colored like each other but only one of them is poisonous?" her father said making a lame excuse.

"But if I change it than it will reduce the chance people even notice I'm a threat. Also, I think I could pull off blonde hair like Ino…" Sakura said knowing full well that if she did that she would look like her Biological mother and maybe have a better chance of finding her.

Her father ran a hand through his own hair. "Yeah…but about that…um…form…it will make us answer some questions we aren't ready for… we are kind of… drawing attention to ourselves would have been… bad… so…yeah…" her father said struggling to try and explain why this was a bad idea without telling her too much. This was…hard…he had never lied to Sakura…ever…but he may have left out the truth a few times… He could see the gears in Sakura's head turn and he hoped against hope she wouldn't figure it out.

Suddenly he saw it click in her head. "Daddy…are you and Mommy bad guys?"

Her father froze. Sakura felt something was wrong. When her father looked at her again Sakura felt something she had never felt around her father before. Fear. Her father felt cold clutch at his heart as he saw Sakura looking at him like he was now the boogey man. But he had already failed her once. He was going to make sure that he protected her. Even if it meant she hated him. As much as it would break him.

"Sakura…Don't spread rumors…It's bad." Her father said slowly. "Don't talk about family… Even to your friends. Unless you want to see us killed…"

Sakura was sniveling at this point. Her daddy was being scary and now she found out she could get her mommy killed. She didn't want that! How could she ever want that? "I won't tell Daddy! I'm sorry!"

Her father's face softened. "I know you won't Sakura's a good girl and we love her for it, but right now you did a bad thing and now Daddy is going to need to help Sakura fix it."

Sakura was crying too hard to respond. Her father held her in his arms. Sakura clung to him like he was the only thing keeping her from falling apart. Her world was now totally shattered.

"It's okay. It's okay. Let's see. You are going to need to find an argument around that form. Tell them you don't think it is necessary until you graduate from the academy anyways and your parents don't have time to fill out the form right away because we are working. Right now. In a few years we can get a job that can actually support us. When I do I promise you, I'll get you a dress just as pretty as anything Ino can wear…" Her father said rubbing small circles on Sakura's small back as she cry-heaved like children do when they want to stop but cannot. "Speaking of which…you may also need to break off your friendship with that Ino girl."

Sakura froze. "S-stop being f-friends w-with I-ino? Why?"

"Her Daddy is the head of the torture and interrogation department currently. He plans on retiring in a few years, but he is still sharp. If he catches wind of this, we are all dead."

Sakura was heartbroken. How could she do something like this? Ino was her best friend. Her only friend. How could she do this?

"Sakura. I know this is hard, but which do you choose your little friendship with Ino or your Mommy?"

"Mommy but-" Sakura said.

"Then you will figure something out. Now excuse me I have to go to work." Her dad said. Looking back on his crying daughter he looked sad. "Sorry sweetie. I do still love you but since you did a bad thing, bad things happen. I hope you make the right decision."

Closing the door her father left Sakura. Sakura all of eight years old broke down crying on the floor.

Her father grimaced on his way to work. He honestly hated this. He knew he couldn't protect her from everything but right now her safety was top priority. If she needed to break up her friend ship in order to be safe…so be it. He would not lose another family. If Sakura dies…all of them die… As a man…he would do everything he could to protect his family. Even if they hated him.

….

Sakura was hanging out with Ino the next day after school and told her Dad's excuse for not needing the form. Sakura was really good at pretending to be happy even though all she wanted to do was cry. She would just send all her feelings to the little kitty cat that lived in the secret base of her mind, however this made her even more sad…she hated imagining the hurt Sakura's feelings would cause it. Right now, it was curled up tightly in a little ball. Not mewing, or prancing happily, or even hissing…it hurt her to see it like this.

"I guess that makes sense." Ino said thoughtfully. "Iruka is going to be a little sad if we tell him that but if we just take it and say we filled it out we should be able to work it out alright."

Sakura never felt more awful. She was hanging out with Ino despite intentionally breaking off her friendship with her in the next few days and was planning on how to lie to Master Iruka. Her inner Kitty cat…it was crying… Outwardly she played, tried to smile, but her shyness was her shield today protecting her from most social interactions.

Suddenly a gaggle of girls came up to them all wanting to talk to Ino about finding out a girl named Ami liked Sasuke too. The idea happened suddenly, and Sakura immediately felt worse than before. It would make Ino hate her, but it would work. She had to make it seem natural though.

After the girls left Sakura was left alone with Ino again.

"Can you believe the nerve of that girl? Going around declaring her love for Sasuke!" Ino said heatedly.

"Ino…you really like Sasuke huh?" Sakura asked.

A deep flush appeared across Ino's cheeks. "Y-yeah. Of course! He is only Sasuke Uchiha! He is so dreamy!"

Sakura felt…hollow. "What if I liked Sasuke too?"

Ino seemed to stop thinking and moving all together. "Um…okay… I just…why? I thought we went over why-"

"Is it wrong for me to like him too?" Sakura said her voice growing distant. "Even if I had no shot?"

"Well I really like him and where did this come from so suddenly?" Ino said.

"I've liked him for a while now!" Sakura said letting hurt color her words. The hurt she felt wasn't from Ino though it was from herself.

"Well it's the first I've heard from it! Dreamy yes, cute yes, but that you like, like him…what the hell?!" Ino said. She was getting irritated. Good. As her friend Sakura knew how to push all her buttons.

"Am I not pretty enough for someone like him? Am I not rich enough? Popular enough? You have everything Ino! Absolutely everything you could ever want! Why can't I have this one thing?" Sakura said. No shouted. "Huh! Ino-Pig!"

Ino was made blind by fury. "Well you can't cause Sasuke's mine you big foreheaded loser!"

Sakura's heart broke for the second time. Sakura ran away from Ino crying leaving Ino furious.

….

After Sakura left and Ino had the chance to calm down Ino felt wetness around her eyes.

"Sakura…why?" Ino asked herself. She felt hurt and sadness coming from Sakura's voice as she said those…rather true things…she had always said her mind to Sakura. Never putting up a façade, never lying, like most of her clan seemed to do… so like always she held nothing back…

Ino knew Sakura didn't have much. She knew she didn't have any friends besides her. While her forehead was large it wasn't abnormally so. In fact, Ino had a similar sensitivity about her name. What little girl wanted to be called 'Wild Boar amongst the mountains' anyways? The surest way to tick her off was to call her anything pig based. What confused Ino the most was why Sakura was saying them. Sakura was a sweet, albeit shy and a little selfish and jealous girl. She never said mean things. She wouldn't even taunt people in sparring matches. So why?

It was like she was trying to make her mad… Normally Ino would have wrote it off but…

'Is it wrong of me to like him?' Sakura said in her memory. 'Even if I don't have a shot?"

For one of the first times in her life she didn't feel confident about what to do, or what to say, or even what to think…

She wiped her tears and made for home. She needed her Dad's help with this.

"Stupid forehead…" Ino said as she walked.

…..

"So, she just ran off after that?" Inochi said after hearing Ino explain. He had been in full 'interrogation mode' since his baby girl came home crying.

"Yeah. It was so weird. It felt like she wanted to hurt me but didn't want to hurt me." Ino said sniffling. "I feel like I hurt her someway and I want to make up it up to her."

Inochi thought about it for a long while. It was no secret Ino could be a bit…rude…but from what he knew of Sakura, albeit he knew very little, she was always one for tact no matter how much his daughter may have rubbed off on her. Something about this wasn't right. Perhaps one of the girls that didn't like his daughter used the transformation technique to cause dissention between them…but in order for him to verify he needed Ino's help.

"Ino, may I use my Mind Walk technique to see the argument in your memories? Perhaps if I can see the argument in person we can figure out what the problem is and make some kind of restitution."

Ino hesitated squirming but nodded. Ino trusted her father and she had always been open to him but the pain of this was still a little raw…

Her father put his hand on her head and closed his eyes.

Inochi was suddenly seeing out of Ino's eyes and hearing through her ears. He gently eased her mind back to the conversation she had with Sakura. He smiled as Ino assisted in this. She was already getting the basics of the clan jutsu.

After a quick peek in Ino's memories for some reffrence, he found he whole heartedly approved of the use of the village funds to help children with that kind of problem live without fear. He was surprised however to see Sakura was lying about the reason for refusing to use it. Something was fishy here. When the gaggle of girls came he was prompted by Ino's consciousness to skip ahead. Guided by his daughter he saw where the argument started.

Ino was rambling about the Sasuke boy again. Inoichi frowned. He understood Ino's feelings but was still uncomfortable with his little girl expressing such feelings as young as eight even if shinobi children tended to be more mature for their age.

He switched his attention to Sakura and he had to admit she was good at hiding her emotions for her age, but it was no match for twenty years interrogating enemy ninja. She was scared and in deep pain... Something happened. This wasn't an imposter either unless they were one of his T&I or worse, an enemy shinobi...

He watched as she started a rift the conversation directing Ino's attention and then began to hit all of his daughter's buttons without making herself look like the bad guy. If it wasn't his daughter or possibly an imposter, he would have seen what he could do to fast track her into his department when she was older. She was a natural at picking down on one's guilt, rage, and using people's own words to her advantage. However, this was also cause for alarm. Sakura really shouldn't have these skills.

He felt Ino's emotions build and then explode. He could feel his daughter's remorse over what she had said. He was disappointed in her outburst but felt a little pride in how she was so willing to make 'restitution' even though she didn't know what the word meant.

He then saw the look on Sakura's face. One of heartbreak but it was there even before Ino exploded. This was no argument about a boy but about something else. She was using this to punish herself. It had something to do with that application…also he didn't know what kind of imposter could pull off that level of sheer hurt. It had been real.

Many people often state that children were like open books or are too simple but that is simply not the case. Children were just as complex as adults. Perhaps even more so. Their emotional perspective and their maturity could be lacking but those emotions were still there. Her eyes…he saw something raw and in pain in them.

He needed to speak to Iruka. After he had a talk with his daughter about this Sasuke boy…

…..

The next day Iruka was trying to ignore the fact that the man in front of him was the head of the Torture and Interrogation department and pretend he was instead a father concerned about his daughter's friend. Like he was…and that he couldn't read his mind just by looking at him…

Inochi had come to him asking about the application paperwork and what it entailed. Iruka was happy to help. He needed a break from correcting papers.

Iruka explained that a DNA test was required to check for any specific genetic markers of a Bloodline release from the parents and the child if she was a minor, a complete tax form and a statement of acquired interest as well as a background check. All this basically meant that the village wanted to know that you didn't actually have a bloodline it could use but just had a deformity or something of the sort which looked like it could be mistaken for a bloodline, were a resident who paid taxes and a full background check to see if you weren't an enemy or refugee who snuck in and wanted asylum or to attack. It was standard fare really.

After thanking Iruka, Inochi found himself deep in thought and wandering to Shikaku's house. He found the man in question lying lazily on his roof like a cat sunning himself looking at the clouds of the late evening.

"Hey Inoichi, what's up?" Shikaku said not bothering to get up.

'You look like either you got fired or you have a big problem, what do you need my help for?'

Something most people are not aware of is that words are only about ten to twenty percent of a conversation. Inoichi and Shikaku being the astounding shinobi that they are, one being the head of the Interrigation department and the other being a genius with an IQ of over two hundred, learned how to communicate while having a cover conversation.

Inoichi was silent for a beat. "There is a problem that I am working on."

'I got a big deal going on. I was wondering if you could help me.'

"Oh? Well what do you got old friend. I could use a good puzzle."

'Shit…after I managed to hook you up with that Ibiki kid you haven't needed my help on anything unless it was an S-class emergency. Sigh… lay it on me.'

"Sakura Haruno just broke off her friendship with my daughter. Ino came home crying." Inochi said.

'Sakura is acting suspicious. She broke off all contact with Ino. I think either Sakura or Ino are in grave danger or some other kind of emergency.'

"Ouch. What for?" Shikaku winced.

'Yeah…that's pretty bad…okay I know you started an investigation already to stay ahead of the game…explain what you got.'

"Over a boy apparently. Looking further it could have been a simple matter of jealousy, but it just didn't sound like Sakura so Ino allowed me to do a mind walk. Something was off." Inoichi said.

'I was suspicious at first but after doing my thing my suspicion checked out.'

"Imposter?" Shikaku asked seriously sitting up. This was no good. Not with the current climate of missing children. If someone was driving a wedge between these two girls, they could be after Ino or Sakura.

'SHIT! Wait are we still talking in code or…?'

"I would thing that if it wasn't for the hurt present. Normally an imposter wouldn't be so…aware. The Sakura I saw in Ino's memories was aware of the pain she caused and felt bad for it. Genuinely hurt and disgusted in herself but seemed to push herself to finish it." Inoichi said.

'No imposter. Still talking in code. People are watching…'

Shikaku was deep in thought. "Is something happening with her parents? Maybe the village as a whole?"

'Okay. Something is up… anything from the higher ups?'

At Inoichi's grimace Shikaku continued. "I'm guessing you found something but need more proof."

'Danzo?'

"Shikaku…" Inoichi said. "You know I trust you, but as your friend I am worried you are chasing ghosts. Shikado…"

'Danzo.'

"Was robbed right out of his parent's home." Shikaku said. "Look let's just hear what you found."

'Shit. I just hope we have a lead.'

"Ino informed me of a form that they were filling out to ensure Sakura's safety. It would allow her to pull from the village funds to be able to buy hair dye." Inoichi explained.

'There might be a paper trail…'

"We have something like that?"

'You actually found a paper trail?!'

"Apparently. It was originally for the Senju clan as their tendency to have bi-colored hair children. I remember my grandfather telling me there was one he had met that had white on one side and black on the other."

'Probably a dead end. Even if we did find one we wouldn't be able to put that bastard behind bars. He has protection of the higher ups.'

"Huh. So, what are the qualifications? Sell your soul to the Death God?"

'Damn. What do we have to have to do for this guy to show his hand?!'

"No…" Inoichi said pinching the bridge of his nose. "Just basic stuff. Background Check, Tax Form, Blood Test, and probably a small fee but Ino could cover that with her pocket change, so even if it dd come down to pride Ino could probably just pay for it and no one would be the wiser."

'It would take money in the right places as well as some solid proof of a crime he can't run away from. Something like evidence of him actually being the one to steal the children and not a "rouge who will be brought to justice soon" to pin it on.'

"So, you don't know which they are trying to hide." Shikaku said following his train of thought. "It's very likely that if her parents are involved, that form is the cause of the break up. However, it's unlikely that they would have a problem with more than two of these reasons. They have to have at least one of these forms filled out already somewhere."

'This guy is probably controlling things from behind the scenes. Her parents are involved somehow, maybe we could investigate them and get something out of them to get to the big guy.'

"Well then we can cross the Tax Form off the list. They have to fill out a tax form and present a work background to even get a job in Konaha and they have at least two each. So, they are in the system." Inoichi said.

'We have been, but we haven't found anything…'

Shikaku hummed. "This is a good puzzle…but I am already ahead of you. You probably used your power as the head of T&I to investigate this. How many times have the Haruno's been to the doctor?" Shikaku asked. "Oh, the joys of living in a military dictatorship where there is a special task force to control the flow of information."

'Any chance of us strong arming him or hell even making something up to pin the blame on him without getting caught? Surely the we could get the Hokage to help us if we have enough proof?'

"It's only good if you are the head of the special task force…Anyways they have seen the doctor about four times in their stay her which, while abnormal, is not unheard of." Inoichi said. "Especially if they don't have money to afford the doctor. All patients listed were Sakura. Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno have apparently never been sick, needed stitches, or the use of a chakra healers once in nearly eight years."

'You honestly think that is going to work? There is evidence of at least four children abducted in the last eight years but none of it points back to him. We can't even say he is responsible for the kidnappings as the kidnapping counts per year are actually pretty low even for a small village.'

"Nearly?" Shikaku said. "Ah I see. Background check. Everything checks out right?"

'Really? I mean it is going down but- ah…he just removed the competition… right…'

"Yes. It is all right there. Kizashi and Mebuki moved to the village following the post-fox construction and housing boom following the money. Came from the Land of Rivers on the boarder of the Land of Fire and Land of Wind. Nothing unusual."

'Since the Fox attack we have been struggling to regain numbers. The fact that Danzo is the one keeping the kidnappings that would normally happen anyways down in order to remove the competition is actually something the Hokage would turn a blind eye to. Kind of like that one gang we helped build up in the Land of rivers, organized crime kept the crime rates actually lower. Danzo is like a built-in hunter corps. He keeps rouges from becoming rouges in the first place.'

"Seems a little too perfect huh?"

'Really? Are you sure we don't just have a wuss as a leader?'

"Yeah. Sakura gave Ino an excuse of not really needing the dye until she graduated." Inoichi said frowning. "But while it makes sense to an eight-year-old and possibly a civilian, it doesn't from the perspective of one who knows what bureaucracy can be like. Sakura may not need the fund right now but waiting until she graduates to fill it out isn't very smart."

'Yeah. Despite seeming like a weak leader, he is actually still quite devious. The Hokage is using Danzo as a rabid chained dog to protect the village. The only complaint he has out of the deal is all the paperwork and cover ups.'

"Well…you know that since there is no reason to really suspect them we cannot use anything you have found." Shikaku shrugged returning to the game he was playing against himself. "I admit their actions are a bit suspicious they may have just told her that she couldn't be friends with clan ninja."

'So Danzo lives up to his nick name "The Necessary Evil". Cool. What as this got to do with Sakura again? It sounds like a pretty open and shut case.'

Inoichi frowned sitting down next to his friend. "Maybe…I am more worried about my book series! The hero is so close to solving the mystery but I'm more worried about 'him' being involved."

'I am worried Danzo is targeting members of my clan.'

If Shikaku reacted he didn't show it. "So, you've read those books I recommended."

'So, you read the files about the recent abduction in the Aburame clan. Shibi's nephew. He is not satisfied kidnapping no name orphans anymore…'

"I have. The character in them is rather dark but he is certainly compelling enough to catch my interest."

'Yes, I have. I think the evidence points to him.'

"Did you find the hidden clue in chapter four?"

'What did you find out about the abduction?'

"No…I looked but it was like the writer didn't want me to see it. Luckily Fu showed me the key in the next chapter. I have to say I was surprised. The villain truly is devious."

'I didn't find anything. They had a good clean up crew. I am worried. I think they will be targeting my nephew Fu next.'

"Sigh…codes are so boring! You know that is why we never became a decoding team."

'You know…this whole talking in code, missing children, spy thing really sucks…If it hadn't have been for Choza I could have been in the cryptography department and lived a happy life solving puzzles at a basic rate of pay… why couldn't we have just been a normal team instead of the ones who need to handle this mess?'

"We didn't become a coding team because you were so paranoid! What if I get it wrong? What if the whole thing was just a distraction to get to the real code!"

'Yeah, yeah…You wanted to be lazy and do regular D-ranks instead. Shikaku…I am really worried…What if I get this wrong? What if Sakura is just a distraction to get to Fu? I don't want to walk right into a trap…'

"Psssht. I could have handled it if you guys were with me. Now I am stuck as Jonin Commander and have a lot more troubles…Well if you have anymore questions about the book let me know! I am working on writing a letter to the author to see if we can get an alternate ending…"

'Inoichi, don't worry. We can handle this together. As Jonin Commander I have access to everything from classified flies to favors I can call. We will be able to figure this out…So…you have a hunch Danzo's next kidnapping efforts will be centered around Sakura huh?'

"Well I have one more chapter to go till I figure it out…I wonder if Sakura could help me…The child seemed rather smart. Wait! Maybe I should check if Ino could figure it out! Yeah…the author did say if was a riddle a child could solve. I should have asked my own daughter first…"

'Yeah…Sakura would be a good distraction since she is good friends with Ino and can get in the compound…Wait! What if he's after Ino?! I need to check on her! Oh, Kami what if he is after not just Fu!'

"Calm down Inoichi. I'm sure if a child could figure it out you can. No need to ask your daughter about it. What would she think if her father ran up to her and started asking her questions about his mystery novel? But hey maybe we can invite Sakura and her parents over for dinner one time. I am sure if you haven't figured it out by then you could ask both of them."

'Inoichi, chill out! We don't know what the enemy is going to do! No need to alert the enemy by being on guard either! Also, you might trigger Fu's capture that way. We will keep an eye on both girls for now. First let's figure out what is going on with her parents.'

"You're right as always Shikaku…Do you think Yoshino would mind having so many people over? If not, I can always ask Tsubaki, but we have been kind of swamped with the recent boom in flower sales."

'Fine. We will wait. So, do you want to carry out the investigation still? I got nothing solid to book the bastard. I can keep looking but with all the people to interrogate back at the department I am kind of swamped.'

"Yoshino is always up for company. She's been worried that I don't hang out much with the family anymore anyways so that would be great. Alright. If you can get your little spit fire ready and willing to invite her friend over than we shall see if these two can help us old geezers."

'Fine. I'm always up for a good puzzle. You get stuff from your department for me to look over. I'll work here at home too. See if you can't get Ino to apologize and get them friends again. Whether the girl is good or bad news, she is still just a kid and a pawn in a much bigger game.'

"Very well. Then it's settled. I'll get Ino and Sakura to the dinner, you help me out with the books. Thanks man, good talk."

'Understood. I will continue the investigation with your assistance. By the way we really should get our wives together for dinner…'

Shikaku grunted but had no other input.

'Fine. Man, I thought that we were just kidding on the whole dinner thing…'

With that Inoichi prepared.

….

Sakura had been crying in her mother's arms most of the night, so she couldn't even train. Her mother learning the reasoning just thanked her and told her she did the right thing…

Sakura was confronted by Ino outside her house early the next morning. Ino got into a full ceremonial bow with her head on the floor and everything.

"Sakura, I'm sorry for causing you pain and for everything that I have ever said to you which caused you grief. You are right I am a greedy piggy." Ino said although it was muffled by the floor. "I have caused dishonor on my family and dishonor on yours. I should not have assumed Sasuke's feelings and need to apologize to him as well. If he would have you it is not my place to interfere. Please forgive this poor wretched piggy."

Sakura was crying once again. She never thought Ino would debase herself like this and beg for an apology from her for attacking her.

Sakura fell and hugged her friend. "Ino! I'm s-sorry! Of course, I forgive you!"

Both Ino and Sakura held each other for a moment more before looking up and noticing a presence behind them. There was a sharp pain in their necks and they entered blackness.

….

A/N: Thank you for reading! I just wanted to use this space to answer a few questions in the comments.

-No Sakura's parents do not have access to the libraries.

-Mebuki has no idea about Sakura's crush on Sasuke although Kizashi does. He doesn't try to steer her away from Sasuke because the kid is not a sociopath at the moment, he is a actually not as 'rich, famous, and powerful' right now what with all his clan effectively destroyed, and Kizashi isn't one to steer someone away from their dreams.

-I too hate the whole 'reducing women to baby-makers' thing. However, this is not really the case…and even in it was… I reserve the right to 'AU' it. Also there is no evidence in cannon of this practice either. Case and point Sarada Uchiha is an only child.

-Sasuke isn't rich. He has exactly the amount in the Uchiha coffers held when the clan was wiped out. This is a lot but not nearly enough for a clan, especially with no income for the last four years. Sasuke is also not famous. Yes, he is an Uchiha but believe the clan to be wiped out. Finally, he while attractive he isn't actually aware of it. He kind of still holds the same mind set he did before the massacre, he is second in line, the spare kid. In his mind he has the same status as say Kiba, Neji, and technically Hinata does. Important to the main family, but not the heir. Sasuke doesn't consider himself the heir to the Uchiha. At least not until he defeats Itachi.

-On the note of Sasuke, he is also not inbred…well not as bad as you would think…In the manga you learn that Madara is the eldest of ten children but all but his brother Izuna died before the age of thirteen. Assuming that the Uchiha actually had a post war boom, as is common after long struggles, after making peace with the Senju clan one could reasonably expect similar amounts of children from most of the Uchiha families as an attempt to boost their numbers. Now knowing there is about fifty to sixty years since Konoha's founding, seriously Tsunade has memories of her grandfather in his prime and Hiruzen was younger than Naruto's age during the beginning of part one, we can assume that there have been at least four generations since the founding and the typical post war boom. Seeing that a pure-blooded Uchiha would normally have black hair and eyes as well as a unique crinkle to their eyes we can see that most of the Uchiha clan is not actually inbred as you can see many Uchiha with brown hair, auburn and even a sandy blonde. Inbreeding could not have produced this. This is further clarified in a hazy statement by Sasuke saying the Sharingan 'is only had by a small number of the Uchiha clan.' Flashbacks with the Uchiha clan in it with their Sharingan active you only see around ten members excluding the main family even if you double that number it isn't nearly the whole clan. Really all evidence points to the lack of inbreeding, actually the opposite, and a lack of the Sharingan amongst the ranks and usually a mark of an elite. Clan tradition even seems to point to the fact that if you unlocked the Sharingan you become an elite. Hence Sasuke's insane ego boost. He thought he had finally made it and begins being a little more cocky. Unlocking the Magekyo Sharingan is enough to shut up even Hashiram and no longer consider Sasuke a child. Sorry for the rant but I really love looking at lore… :D

-I notice from the five comments I do have that many of you are expecting a Sakura x Sasuke pairing. I can tell you right now that it will not be the case. As I say in my bio, my stories may contain romance, but it is more of a 'Friendship/Adventure' story. If I write a story for the romance I will mark it under the 'Romance' tag in the search key.


	6. Lost

Chapter 6: Lost

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A/N: Full Author's note at the bottom. Enjoy!

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:

The man now carrying two little girls shook his head. His master had wanted to divert attention away from themselves now they had all the attention.

Contrary to popular belief ANBU didn't do patrols, long term guard missions or luckily for him, investigate kidnappings. What did you expect from the 'Special Assassination and Tactical Task-force'? D-Ranks?

No, all the above was done by the Torture and Interrogation department. Originally it had been done by the Konoha Police Department and Border Patrol Teams, but since the Uchiha had been destroyed the ones to pick up the slack were T&I and General Ops. Since it had been less than a year since the destruction of the main back-bone of the villages patrol teams they were of course gaps in security what with the two departments now being stretched oh so thin. Gaps he would exploit with malicious glee.

He reached the first of the markers he had left. A branch with a throwing knife and star on it. He made a shadow clone and tossed the blonde girl to his clone. The clone shouldered the girl easily, picked up the throwing knife and headed left while he headed right.

If his master's reasonings were correct the village- no it wouldn't be the village at this point, Inoichi Yamanaka Head of the Torture and Interrogation Department would send out his best tracking team in conjunction with Shikaku Nara Jonin Commander and Sub-Captain of General Operations would be sending a heavy assault team, possibly two if he could spare it.

If he was unlucky he would get the Hokage riled up enough to send his ANBU, but he doubted that was the case. The Hokage had lost most of the units along with the Uchiha who were known for being elites. If information was correct there were only about a third of the twenty-four original ANBU left after the Uchiha incident as well as the investigations on the prospective members. So that being said there were only about fifteen ANBU and only about six the man could trust completely. Those would be guarding his person although he knew that they might just send one of them to be the captain of the unit.

So, the most likely outcomes were a single unit from T&I and a bunch of dumb thugs, two units from T&I and some dumb thugs or one unit from T&I, some dumb thugs, and possibly an ANBU.

Welp…you didn't become a shinobi without taking risks. There was a thirty percent chance this could all go to hell in a handbasket but what did he care? He was just some tool in the end. He landed on the ground in a small clearing. The trees around him filled with a silence that seemed to resonate with the entire forest. For whatever reason birds and animals have long since stopped coming here. Feeling with his hands and also his chakra the man found a set of steel doors laying hidden in the earth and opened the hatch. The stench of disinfectant and decay filled his nostrils. One of Orochimaru's old abandoned laboratories. This would get the old monkey riled up. Hoisting the girl on his shoulder once more he descended down into the cold dark hole.

Lets just get this over with.

:

Inoichi was trying very hard not to panic. He had found out from a nice young man named Iruka that Ino and Sakura had not come to class that day. He had gone over to Sakura's house where Ino was last seen and found a locked door. Tracing any other tracks he could find, he eventually found the bodies of Sakura's parents in a lone training field several hours old and was recognized the situation immediately. His daughter and possibly her best friend were either kidnapped or dead.

Inoichi tried not to panic as he immediately arranged for his best tracking team and one of Shikaku's heavy assault teams to pick up the trail. He then rushed to inform the Hokage. Seeing his panic, the Hokage had even assigned him ANBU Captain Hound for the mission. Hound had a good track record and even better capture and kill rate. Yes. Hound would help his daughter.

:

Sweat glistened on the man's forehead as he finished his handiwork. His clone popped letting him know the other girl had been secured. Making yet another shadow clone he felt his chakra reserves scream in protest. He was to be bait and he knew it. Finally, he would be able to take a rest…

:

Hound's pack were tracking the little girls with Hana Inuzuka and Anko Mitirashi as the main tracking unit with Shibi Aburame himself on the recon team. Tracking the man had been harder than expected as they could only pick up the scents of the girls and not the kidnapper. They found a throwing star they had left and were alarmed when the scent spilt in two. Did that mean that the girls were to the right or to the left?

This could only have one of two results. One was a decoy and there was a chance of the perpetrator would get away or they were walking into a trap meant to divide and conquer. They made a decision. Shibi would take all but a few of the assault team to the left where the scent of Ino Yamanaka was and Hound would take the right for the other little girl with Anko and Aoba.

Hound just hoped they would get there in time but given his luck he didn't hold his breath.

:

Inoichi sat in his office with his friend Shikaku attempting to calm himself. He had felt the parental panic of one who didn't know if his daughter was dead or alive. For the first time in a long while he prayed and prayed hard for whatever gods above to protect his daughter and bring her back to him.

:

Shibi found the site what looked like Ino Yamanaka just tied up to a tree.

"Hyuuga, I need your eyes." He said. Said Hyuuga scowled but complied before blanching eyes wide with terror.

"Explosive tags…" The Hyuuga choked out. "Hundreds of them, if not thousands. Ms. Yamanaka is at the epicenter. If we take her out or even move her…we are also on pressure mines…one movement in the wrong direction and we are all dead…"

Shibi stiffened and felt a cold sweat crawl down his back but his logical mind worked overtime. "Thousands…Hmm…any of you seal masters? No? Well Hyuuga explain what you see in greater deatail and I might be able to use my insects to get us out of here alive."

:

Hound was not having a good day. The scent split off again and the perpetrator was revealed to be a young man perhaps in his early teens. The man- perhaps boy would be a better term had what looked like Ino Yamanaka in his arms. She was unconscious, and he had pulled a knife, aiming it at the young girl's throat.

"Now, now… let's not be too hasty." The man started but Hound wasn't having it. He knew he could out speed practically anyone except maybe the Fourth Raikage. This brat wouldn't stand a chance. Moving faster than the eye could see he used his sword to slice the man's jugular. To his surprise however the man turned into a pile of dirt along with the Young Yamanaka.

Hound heard Anko yelp as she narrowly avoided being dragged under the earth by the assailant. Both Anko and Aoba made for the trees as a lone boy rose from the earth.

The boy then just sighed and sat down cross legged. "I give."

:

Shibi was growing irritated. The Hyuuga was a part of his tracking team but was having a hard time keeping his cool the more he saw. It seemed like there was now easily a couple thousand explosive tags where before the man had said there were hundreds to a thousand. This was alarming the rest of his subordinates from the heavy assault teams. Alarmed subordinates are foolish subordinates, and foolish subordinates are dead subordinates.

"Hyuuga. Do you have a first name?" he asked.

The Hyuuga nodded slowly. "My name is Yuuko."

"Yuuko…that is a nice name. I think one of my clansmen have that name as well. She is a nice girl. Loves sunflowers..." Shibi said. "I know you are scared Yuuko but you are the only one who can sense where the explosive tags are and we need you greatly. We know you can do it. You are of the Hyuuga clan and have amazing capacity to succeed."

Yuuko was silent for a moment before chuckling. "I was freaking out bad enough that Shibi Aburame cold-hearted bastard extrodinare decided I need a pep talk? I just...man, I'm pathet-"

The first explosive tag went off killing the woman before the entire world seemed to turn to white.

:

The explosion was deafening even from over a kilometer away. All turned their heads in alarm and that was their mistake.

Hound was fast, but the boy's reaction was faster. Using the full second of disorientation from the blast to his advantage he managed to tag Aoba with a well-timed throwing knife and partially-avoid Hound's retaliation with a substitution.

Hound not being easy to evade however managed to stab the man in the arm regardless before he was caught up in Anko's snake binding technique. Aoba clutched his injured shoulder.

"Where are they?" Hound growled placing a knife to the boy's head.

The boy looked at him with a glazed expression.

"Huh…so the Hokage did send an ANBU…" the boy muttered. "Well to answer your question…one's probably dead and the other is sorta buried already…"

"You killed them." Anko accused. Her snakes tightening around the man and the hissing became louder. "They were just children."

"Enemy children…and I just set the trap." The boy said. He seemed to have no gumption or drive, just an empty sense of boredom. "Sigh…fine…there is one still alive, maybe two…I dunno…how fast are your guys?"

"You know I can use the mind reading technique to find out where he hid them right?" Aoba asked.

Hound and Anko blinked at him. The boy shrugged in his bindings. "And that's why you're the one I poisoned."

As if on cue the man started convulsing and foaming at the mouth. Hound rushed to his side only to find the man choking on his own spittle.

"Anko! Do you have an antivenin?" Hound demanded.

Anko nodded sending yet another snake to fish it out of her pocket. "This will only slow it down. We need him to a field medic."

Hound applied the antivenin before turning sharply on the boy. "You seem to know a lot about our abilities."

"Yeah…" the boy drawled. "It's kind of my job… you know as a ninja…"

"Who hired you?" Anko asked suddenly.

"That's a secret." He said. "Look, I'm supposed to mess with you guys some more, but I am getting tired of this stupid question and answer game."

"Tell us where the girls are!" Hound demanded.

"Fine. One of them was at the epicenter of the blast you three heard and the other is underground in a clearing not too far from here." He smiled for the first time since their encounter cocking his head towards Anko. "This one should know what I'm talking about."

Anko visibly paled before chuckling bitterly. "Well, well… looks like we have a hostage situation."

"Yup." The boy said. Suddenly the boy seemed to perk up. His shadow clone had popped and returned it's memories to the boy.

The boy began laugh a broken harrowing laugh. "Oh, this is rich. I surprise myself sometimes with my own deviousness. Well I suppose I shouldn't keep the higher ups waiting."

The boy immediately bit down on something in his mouth and then began coughing and foaming at the mouth as well.

"Shit!" Anko said trying to get another antivenin from her jacket. "Bastard chomped a cyanide pill!"

"Can you stabilize him?!" Hound demanded.

"No…he's gone…DAMN IT!" Anko said as she watched the boy's breathing and heartbeat stop, the light leaving his eyes forever.

"Do you know what he was talking about?" Hound asked propping Aoba up.

"Yeah. Orochimaru had a lab around here somewhere. Something about an operation room. Old experimentation tables and shit. We were going to collapse it once we had time to search everything for traps and any clues, but we have been pretty busy since the Uchiha decided to croak on us." Anko said. "I know where it is. You take Aoba to the healer's."

Hound slung Aoba over his shoulder. "Forget it. It is probably just another trap."

"The other little girl is there." Anko snapped. "The civilian one. She deserves to be saved as much as the Yamanaka kid. At least with just me checking on the spot I won't be putting a whole platoon at risk…"

Hound seemed to mull it over. "Aoba needs medical attention immediately…argh…damn it…fine...just…be careful alright? Do not engage the enemy."

"Aww…don't worry Hound. I'm a big girl, I can handle it."

With that she disappeared into a puff of leaves.

:

Anko was not handling it. She had been the one to discover this lab after working with the Yamanaka healers to help with some of her repressed memories. Entering the lab for the first time she now understood that maybe the memories were better left repressed.

Anko shook her head to rid herself of the thoughts. No. Those kids deserved to be remembered. She still had no idea how much of it was her own fault. Anko had been terrified to find some of the research notes in her own hand writing. Hand she been the one to do these experiments while her old sensei oversaw it, or did she knowingly allow children to be experimented on?

Anko had to shake her head once again. No. Either way she was not that person anymore. Whoever she had been before she was now 'Anko Mitirashi'. Red Bean Paste Dango. Her favorite food. Jiraiya, the one to discover her all those years ago, had named her that hoping to instill the dish's sweetness into her. Sadly, though she had become a terrifying mix between the snake-bastard and the perverted sage. Bombastic yet having creepy tendencies. She had been told before that she was nothing like the creepy-bastard but at the same time tended to remind people of him. Not that she remembered what he was like. Repressed memories were a bitch to deal with.

Finding the clearing she opened the hole to the lab. Descending the stone staircase with an earth jutsu on her fingertips she found it was empty except for a young pink haired girl hung up by shackles next to the corpse of a child her age. There was a note written on a strip of paper pinned to the wall with a knife.

'This child has been poisoned. To save her you will need to make a choice. Death now or death later. Before you, at the feet of the child are two syringes. One contains the rest of the poison. She will die instantly and painlessly if it is injected into her. The other is what this lab in particular was trying to create. It will be able to save her from the poison and you will have a sample of the poison to create an antidote for the man I will most likely poisoned, prompting you to come her more or less alone. There are too many variables to be sure however... Anyway, the second shot will horribly scar the child before you. She will never have a normal life and it will be full of pain and suffering. Or you can take both samples find out who is doing all this and try and fail to hunt them down. So, choose Leaf Shinobi. Is death preferable to life? You have anywhere from five to two minutes till she dies.'

Anko felt like someone had created her own personal hell before her very eyes. Anko began to look around the lab trying to find something, anything, that would give her an idea of what would be in the second syringe. What she found however were the death records of each and every child hanging shackled to the wall. Many had died of organs failure or rapid blood loss, all physical. So, whatever the girl would be injected with wouldn't cause insanity and it wouldn't be the same as the marking that was always whispering things to her in her sleep.

Steeling herself Anko made a choice.

:

Shibi was hunched over a small blonde girl as the blasts finally died down. His body was horribly burnt along with the girl's entire right side. Looking around he found about half the assault team he had brought with him had been caught in the blast and about half were injured like him having barely escaped the explosion by using the Body Flicker or Substitution technique to get out of there but were caught in the massive aftershock of the blast.

Shibi had somehow managed to grab the girl and get out in a burst of speed he didn't know he had been capable of, while his insects having worked as a shield for some but not all the force of the explosion. He would definitely need a new colony… Shock and adrenaline finally wearing off he was suddenly brought down with the sudden agony or lack thereof of his second and third-degree burns and promptly passed out.

:

Hound carried the poisoned Aoba to the rendezvous point to see if any of the assault team medics had survived but found the medics attending to mostly burn and concussion victims. A single thought kept crossing his mind throughout the jaunt back. How the hell did one ninja accomplish this by himself? Did he have help? Anko was alone out there looking for the last lost child but now that Aoba was at least stable in the care of the medics he needed to make sure she was okay. He was caught up short with the woman nearly running into him with a little girl in her arms convulsing in silent agony.

"What happen-?" Hound began to ask until he was brought up short by the woman in front of him began to breakdown in front of him tears freely falling.

"Lab…" she managed to choke out. "She was in a lab…he did something to her…said she was going to die…I had to…oh god…"

Hound was a trained professional and thus had a perfect emotional mask, even those in his ANBU units had wondered if he had a heart but seeing a woman as strong as Anko breakdown was more than troubling.

"What did you do?" he asked quietly.

Anko sniffed trying to stop herself from crying more. "She was going to die…I had to do something…I-I…I think I made a horrible…mistake…"

"Then get her to the medics. They know what is going on." Hound said. "Get yourself checked out as well."

Anko just nodded dumbly holding the girl whispering her apologies over and over again.

:

Hound stood before the council of Konoha. Many civilians thought the council worked by having all the clansmen represented or something like that. Honestly it had not been like that since the fall of Hashirama, the First Lord Hokage.

Since Tobirama, the Second Lord Hokage, had invoked martial law during the First Shinobi War, the Hokage had become the supreme unquestioned leader of the village and many Kage had followed in his example.

When Hiruzen, the Third Lord Hokage, came into power he didn't trust his own judgement by itself and sought the advice of the councilors of Konoha to diversify the opinions of his reign to make Konoha the most prosperous it had ever been.

Still the councilors tended to have a mind of their own and tended to push their boundaries as merely councilors. A prime example of this was Danzo but he was no longer on the council, having stepped down after the Uchiha incident and ROOT had been disbanded.

Yes, they may be old, tradition heavy and pushy but with the counselors was still it was considered one of the most fair reigns of any Kage.

"Report." The Hokage commanded. He had lost some good men today and he deserved to know.

"An enemy had managed to breach the village's security measures because of unavoidable circumstances, namely lack of men and the strength of the enemy. We suspect he was at least Jonin level. He laid a trap for us and we fell right for it as we underestimated the amount of damage he could do as he was able to rig a trap with reportedly several hundred to a thousand explosive tags with a dead man switch and or remote activation. I, Aoba, and Mitirashi had split off from the main group to follow a scent we suspected might be the enemy in hiding. We were correct and confronted the enemy. He had an abnormal amount of knowledge, as he focused his attack on Aoba and poisoned him because he knew of his training to use the mind reading capabilities. He commented on the younger girl Sakura Haruno still being alive before using a suicide technique.

Anko knew of the location he had mentioned as one of Orochimaru's old laboratories and insisted on going on ahead while I take Aoba to the medics. I was not in the mood to argue so I took her suggestion. I managed to get Aoba to safety. Shibi's teams suffered heavy losses but Ino Yamanaka is alive thanks to Shibi's speed and skill. Anko had also retrieved Sakura Haruno but it seemed the enemy had pulled a trick in death as well. Anko discovered the girl poisoned and was given the choice of killing her or injecting her with a possible antidote. Anko took the risk and she partially succeeded but was traumatized and was suggested to visit the Yamanaka counselors.

Out of three teams approximately five are dead. There are about three more in critical condition in the hospital. Ino Yamanaka has received severe pressure damage and third degree burns over most of her right side and her back. She is in a medically induced coma and though she will be severely scarred, she will live and even be a functional shinobi. Sakura Haruno however is responding poorly to treatments. We have no idea what is going on, but I have been told to report that whatever Anko had injected her with it is affecting her on the genetic level. That is all." Hound said bowing deeply.

The Hokage sighed hearing the girls were safe…well as safe as they could be at the moment.

"Very well. I declare this mission a success despite the losses. We will patch whatever holes in security by doubling up on guard duty for the next few weeks. That an enemy infiltrated our village will be considered an A-rank secret however. Good work Hound. Dismissed." The Hokage said. When Hound vanished, he turned to his councilors. "What do you two think?"

"I think this is a right mess." Koharu said with a frown. "This is our fault as much as it is the enemy's if we really let a hole that big!"

"I believe we should get more people transferred over to Torture and Interrigation if we are to keep giving them more work. This entire problem could have been avoided if we had been proactive." Homura said. "Also, that poor girl…Sakura… not only is she most likely dead but so are her parents…This will not do well with the civilian population. It is one thing if shinobi are targeted but another entirely if the civilians are in danger. They rely on us to protect them after all."

The Hokage meditated on their words. "You two are correct and bring up some very good points, but we have more to discuss. Send in Mitirashi."

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Elsewhere the man cackled. It still amazed him how much he could control his clones from such distances, but the Eye of Heaven technique was definitely nothing to sneeze at. Reclining his head, he allowed his master access to his dreams.

"Well done Shin..." The voice echoed.

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A/N:

I am so sorry for the extra-long wait, but I kept getting stumped on this chapter. I had a few directions I wanted to take this but couldn't decide what I should do narratively with the character. Even now I am just leaving it up to chance. Rant reply incoming! Skip to the A/N Continued for more! If not thank you so much for reading and please review.

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Response to Guest:

I have thought a long time about how to answer you and I am afraid I may need to semi-rant mode. Ready? Sweet.

Yes, cannon is flawed. It was produced by men who pumped up twenty pages of manga working upwards of twenty hours a day and got on average three hours of sleep per night for fifteen years and a studio that was trying to merchandize the living crap out of whatever they produced. There is going to be plot-holes, gaps in logic, continuity and even negligence.

The reason so much fanfiction exists trying to correct/make sense of it, but I highly doubt this was the intention of the author. I think the reason most get really confused about the story's main message is because of all the fights and drama. In the end the story was not about ninja/magician/alien/super-sayin-gods, but people. Sakura was not a compelling character in the story because we never get past all the emotional gut punches and stunning fights. But if you take a step back and look at the bigger picture and you realize she _is_ the bigger picture. She was the representation of what the others were fighting for. Many enthusiasts of shonen anime see down time as time to train, time to get stronger, and time to have maybe some fan service. That's cool. That can cause some rather awesome power-ups and some amazing motivations later on.

Sakura takes the time Naruto would have spent training and spends it with her family, her friends, and even just taking walks through the village and doing menial chores for Tsunade. You see the difference? Naruto wants to become the greatest Hokage- Believe it! Sakura wants to one day to have her crush acknowledge her and maybe start a family like her own. Both fight but for different reasons. There is nothing wrong with Sakura and Hinata for that matter wanting to settle down and be house wives. They are doing the same thing as their husbands just in different ways. You need a support network of love and caring or at least support. They are 'Protecting the King' just in a different way.

I just thought this was a smart move because in the end there is nothing wrong with having your female characters have actual feminine traits, like a mothering instinct for example, instead of being stone cold bitches with psychological problems but hey their good at fighting…yay…

(All you wonderful ladies out there please do not take this personally I am merely talking about the tendency of writers trying to make female characters more 'bad-ass' by more or less making them dudes in woman form. She's a bad-ass chick? Okay that means she can never be shown trying to deal with feelings, caring how she looks, being around/goods with children, displaying any sort of tender or compassionate side, or a platonic relationship with a man. It just irks me is all…)

(All you wonderful gents out there please also do not take this personally! I am not saying men cannot also have all of the above traits, but in general these are examples of traits associated with the fairer sex and men have their own versions like being brave about their feelings, showing off, being people kids look up to, displaying tender/compassionate sides to our loved ones, and forming platonic relationships with women! Male characters can be done just as much a disservice with this stereotype as well.)

I am not trying to turn this into a debate. You are entitled to your own opinions and honestly, I just wanted to clear up what I thought was a misconception and a weird trope I found amongst characters in fiction. But like I said in the first response most of this is irrelevant because my story is AU. If I don't like it, it doesn't get written. Boom! Solved.

As I said I actually applaud the story of Naruto for showing a deep depth of emotions in both genders. It is honestly refreshing. I didn't mean for this to be all about gender roles in fiction, but the stigma is there…

Anyways sorry for the rant and I hope this answers more questions than it raises…

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A/N:

To any of you still here I just wanted to explain a little bit of an idea I have going on about the next few chapters and the reason this chapter is…so…late…

This chapter I really needed to get into the heads of all the people in play here while also world building and giving exposition while also trying not to make said exposition take away from the story in any way. The original story was extremely exposition heavy and it was honestly bonkers trying to sort out how much of this was 'cannon' and 'non-cannon'. Several weeks straight on Narutopedia and YouTube how-to-world-build videos later and this is the result…

I am just going to copy something I saw another fan-fiction writer do! Small essays at the bottom of each chapter explaining stuff relevant to the chapter or to the world at large. I am not sure if that is allowed on this site or not and I swear I am not just trying to bolster my word count! I am just finding it extremely difficult trying to put expositional backstory and world-building mid battle like the original did. If you guys would like to see something like this or if you think it would be a bad idea and I should just suck it up and write assuming everyone knows what is going on let me know!

Another thing I need to talk about is OC's. I like to think I'm decent at writing them, but I have seen many a story turn from 'top fave' to 'utter trash' because of the OC monsters and I am kinda scared of them to be honest. The problem is I got some…let's say plans…and they are going to need some OC's as well…some important people just don't exist! I will try to use 'filler' characters as much as I can since they are more 'cannon' then anything I can make but there is not always going to be a nice vulnerable 'filler' for me to swipe.

Well! I don't want to make this too long! Thank you all so much for reading and please don't forget to review!


	7. Scars and Amalgamations

Chapter 7: Scars and Amalgamtaions

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A/N: Full Author's note at the bottom. Trying something new. Please read and review!

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'There are many things in this world we do not understand. Why do people die and some live? Lack of oxygen to the brain for sufficient amount of time is fatal yet I have met men who can survive hours without it. Many die when they no longer have sufficient blood in their veins, yet I have met men who can survive having their very heart removed. How is all this possible? Why do some men live, and others don't? The only conclusion have come to is that some men adapt and those that don't, die. From here on, I shall be studying the changes made to these men's bodies and shall determine if I can't save a few more lives of those precious to me…'

-Lab Forty-Three transcript notes, The Abnormals Report

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Hiruzen Sarutobi was busy filling out the paper work. Many times, his councilors had admonished him to just use shadow clones to get the work done but sometimes he needed to get lost in the world of business administration to sort things out in his mind on matters less important than sending men to their death.

Last year had not been a good year.

The Uchiha Incident and the Kurama Incident weighed heavily on his mind. Now at the beginning of this new year what has come to be known as the Infiltration Incident was still causing a whole host of problems. First and foremost was that a civilian family was targeted alongside a clan family.

The Civilian population was larger in Konoha than in other villages and because of that there was more sway amongst them on the internal affairs while the Clans were a force all their own. Both were not happy. Not only had they failed to capture or identify the man who had stolen away parts of their communities, but they had also lost assets in the course of recovering them.

The Hyuuga clan was particularly upset at losing one of their own, albeit a branch member. Further investigation had brought more troubling news. The Haruno's, upstanding members of society had be found out to be rouge ninja. Because of so many clans being involved, not including the damage done to the Heir of the Yamanaka clan, Hiruzen was forced to give the official word of what had transpired rather than allow baseless rumors from causing the next ninja war.

The civilians were outraged, and the Clan ninja deeply disturbed. Konoha was supposed to be a safe place. A place where the ninja could, finally, drop his guard and be personable. A place where civilians could let their children play in the streets and civilian and ninja alike could co-exist without fear or judgement. That safety had kept his ninja sane and his civilians to keep trusting him. Now all that was in near shambles. Not since the time of the Fox attack had there been such a blow.

And blow after blow after blow kept coming.

The Betrayal of Orochimaru, the Hyuuga incident, the assassination of Pakura, the Tragedy of Yosuga Pass scare, the Kurama Incident, the uprising in Rain, the Uchiha Massacre and now this. He didn't know how much more he could take. It seemed that war was always just over the horizon and he was all alone in his attempt to stop it before it began.

He was dedicated to peace, but he was truly wondering how he could ever keep it up. Before him was a choice either he could save his own hide by passing the blame off onto Anko like he had done to Itachi and in many instances Orochimaru and Danzo, or he could take the blame and lose the trust of the entire village.

Each side was tempting. If he blamed Anko he could say the rouge ninja were allowed into the village by her and thus continue the farce that the village was a safe place. Anko was already suspect in people's minds as being still under the control of Orochimaru. Her actions in this last mission were extremely suspect if worded correctly and could be given as evidence. The downside would be almost nothing. Security would still be tightened. Anko would be executed and life would go on as per normal.

If he blamed himself the village would be seen as weak by the clans and civilians alike. They would lose confidence in their leader and he would most likely have to step down in disgrace and any of his students including Jiraiya would be scrutinized before they would be able to lead effectively. The control of the village would go to one of the Clan leaders or Danzo. Because the village would seem weak the other villages would be testing their resolve and send their ninja to test their boarders and all hell would break loose if anyone died and incited yet another war. Not to mention the fact that their village's only other line of defense was an eight-year-old boy whom he had not even begun to train. The village would be all but lost.

Looking at the pictures of all the previous Hokage, Hiruzen knew what he had to do.

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Dr. Yakushi was busy trying to isolate the genetic codes of the substance that Mitarashi had so foolishly injected the subject with. The 'venom' was not venom at all. A venom came from an animal, a toxin came from plants and a poison was usually something inorganic. This…this was a host of free radicals in retrovirus form trying and succeeding in changing the genetic structure of his patient.

Without his assistance his patient would become as his newly adopted son put it 'the stuff of nightmares' and then die horrifically of organ failure as her mutilated body destroyed itself from the genetic level in utter agony. The one who had come up with this was a sick sadistic bastard. The thing was Dr. Yakushi could respect that. He was the Head Medic of the Konoha hospital. He messed with dead and dying bodies of friend and ally for a living. This person had gained his contempt however by being disorganized and a disorganized fellow he was.

He could see what it was intended for. The corpses in the lab while not the freshest still had their genetic sequencing spliced and he could read what it said. The purpose of the substance was supposed to be to introduce a virus or a genetic defect to cause an illness and then through the genetic splicing cure and make the host immune to the disease. A true vaccine intended for a life threatening yet slow burning illness.

That was all fine and good. If he could replicate it, cancer, AIDS, hell he would have been able to cure the founder's diseases such as Madara's famous blindness and genetic decomposition and Hashirama's over taxed genetic clock. No, the method was fine the problem was with the gene pool itself.

The cells themselves were both the healers and the destroyers. He could even identify some of Hashirama's miracle cells, but they were past expiration. The cells were both saving and damning his patient simultaneously. The age and genetic defects present were slowing down the progression but were also the ones destroying the parts of the cells that could save her.

Dr. Yakushi was then struck by a thought and checked the numbers. Taking a sip of coffee, he set to work on his new treatment plan.

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Anko was valiantly doing her best to die of alcohol poisoning. She had damned a child and there was nothing she could do to stop what had already been set in motion. She had been told she had made the wrong choice. That the poor little girl was going to die, and it was all her fault. She was just like her sensei. Anko snorted while she was taking a drink of vodka causing the burning fluid to go out her nose and start a coughing fit.

No, she was not like her sensei. Her sensei would have laughed and accepted his work even if it was an abomination. He always owned up to his failures and mistakes. She had read enough of the man's lab reports over the last few days to know his mind intimately.

Since Sakura had been admitted to the hospital she had poured herself over all the lab notes she could find. What she found was pointless. Death, death and more death. She saw photo after photo of the corpses of everything from children to adults. Orochimaru had always been a monster and now she truly dived head first into his work to try and undo it. She had thought that just killing him would be enough but no. She found she needed to see all of his work undid before she could have peace to her soul. Truly a daunting task and one that needed a stiff drink before starting.

And then another.

And another.

One more…

Soon Anko had knocked back twenty cases of the stuff and she wasn't getting anywhere fast. Her altered metabolism and liver meant she couldn't even get drunk properly…

She was knocking back the last bottle in what would be case number twenty-one when there was a knock at her door. Letting the liquid scream down her throat she got up in a stupor and went to the door.

Who could this be?

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Dr. Yakushi had done it. The answer had been right in front of him. Poison. The dead cells and those not in detriment to his patient's health were subjected to a cellular toxin in the form of a retro virus like itself specifically meant to weaken the body at the cellular level then with specific retroviruses he would be able to target and destroy the decayed portions of DNA from affecting the patient. The patient's cells would also be much more susceptible to altering making the whole process go smoother.

His lab assistant however could not mind the screams the little girl made even under heavy sedation as she writhed on the operating table. Useless. It was not his fault she could not be subjected to anesthesia and as he liked to say, 'The best cures are usually the most bitter'.

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Anko was met to the sight of her three least favorite beings on the planet. The Bitch, the Fag, the Scar-Face, and the Walking-Talking-Coughing Fit. Otherwise known as Kurenai, Genma, Raido and Hayate.

"Waddya want?" Anko asked as the sunlight peaked out from around them. Damn. It was morning already?

Kurenai wrinkled her nose from the smell of alcohol that wafted off of her. "The Hokage wishes to speak with you."

"Yeah, Okay. Lemme put some pants on." Anko said making a move to close the door before the Walking-Talking-Coughing Fit put his foot in the door.

"We are supposed to make sure you get there on time." Gekko explained.

Anko shrugged. She had nothing to hide.

"Fine. How much time I got?"

"About twenty minutes." Genma said.

"Sweet! Enough time to shower!" Anko said running to the bathroom. "Uh…Make yourselves at home I guess…"

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Kurenai was not one for judging others but the sheer amount of mess in one apartment made her think less of the younger woman already. Undergarments and several trench coats littered the floor along with take out boxes, paperwork and the odd bottle of soda. Kurenai was most appalled at the sheer amount of dumpling sticks there were on the ceiling and walls carelessly chucked straight at the wall usually to make words or the Konoha symbol.

Many people thought Anko and herself would make good friends. This was nonsense in her opinion. There were just some women that didn't get along no matter how compatible they seemed. Kurenai liked a good drink at night after a hard mission but twenty-one cases was overkill. Kurenai hated sweets, especially cake, and Anko scarfed them down and could eat entire cakes by herself. The comparisons went on, but she could not help but wonder what the younger woman was doing with her life.

She was stopped short by the folders and folders of lab notes open to random places and what looked like a conspiracy board. Kurenai opened on of the files only to quickly shut it in horror. Anko was studying Orochimaru's old lab notes. A clip board beside the notes held a clear diagnostic picture of Sakura Haruno's condition as well as concise notes of other subjects and possible outcomes. Most of them pointed to death or at least severe deformation. Kurenai noticed that the notes became more and more sloppy as they went on. She had been drinking to keep herself sane?

Five minutes later Anko appeared out of the shower wearing nothing but a towel and some undergarments. Kurenai coughed into her fist to Anko's attention. Anko flushed as she remembered that there were three men in her apartment getting a free show before retreating quickly to what seemed to be her bedroom.

Kurenai nearly facepalmed when she came out wearing little more than a full body mesh suit and trench coat. Didn't this woman have any idea what modesty was?!

"Right…let's go." Anko said.

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Sakura woke to the sound of a beeping heart monitor and the dull hum of florescent lights. Opening bleary eyes, she stirred in her bed only to find she couldn't move her hands or feet. A shot of fear tore through her and her mind began to race along with the increased beeping of her heart monitor.

The last thing she remembered was being knocked out in front of Ino…then pain…so much pain… they must have been captured by the enemy! The enemy was after a bloodline Sakura might have like Ino feared! Sakura's heart hammered in her chest as she also remembered the very serious conversation she had with her mother about female ninja that were captured. Sakura called upon her chakra and tried to release the bindings. Her heart-rate monitor was going crazy. She was stopped by the sounds of people coming to her room.

"Sakura! It's alright!" someone yelled.

Sakura gave a frightened cry flaring her chakra until the restraints came off leaving her mildly drained but still able to fight. Calling upon her chakra once more she leapt off the hospital bed ignoring the sharp pains as she started viciously ripping the cords and wires from her body.

"Someone stop her!" another shouted.

Sakura sank into a defensive position. Her eyes darted around as her mind raced keeping an eye on all enemies while trying to find a weapon- perfect!

She rolled off and behind the bed where the I.V. stand had fallen, breaking the ends off sharply so she had more or less a staff. She snarled at her attackers who were calling for more assistance from the other rooms. Sakura lunged for one with a war cry. If she was going to be captured she would go down fighting!

Her whole world started to spin. The first attacker she got in the shoulder and he fell with a cry as stainless steel crushed his collarbone. His companions began to rush her but sharp swift attacks to the temples she downed then swiftly and began to dash out the door.

She yelped when she felt a sharp agonizing pain between her legs. Her eyes widened in horror as she could feel blood trickle down her legs. Assuming the worst she felt her eyes begin to water but she kept running to escape this hell hole before she was tackled to the ground and pinned. Sakura began to scream as she feared for what she assumed was left of her chastity.

"Holy shit Forehead! What the hell has gotten into you!?" Ino said pinning her.

"I-Ino…" Sakura stuttered out managing to turn to see the one pinning her. Ino looked worse for wear as bandages covered the right side of her face and neck.

"You young lady are lucky I am not telling your father about your swearing. Sakura chill out! You nearly killed those guys back there!" Shikaku said- No! Sakura thought snapping out of her confusion. Sakura called on her chakra again trying to slow it to a complete halt and then flare it suddenly to break the genjutsu she was probably under while struggling in this foul illusion's grasp. "Yeesh kid…Hey Ino! How do I convince this kid that she is not in mortal peril!?"

"First I'm going to let her go but get ready to use the jutsu!" the illusionary Ino called.

Illusionary Shikaku obliged, though looked weary and kept his hands in the hand sign. Sakura dashed forward out of the illusion's grasp scrambling to get up and get turned around to keep her eyes on her captors. This genjutsu was above her level to break. Sakura dove and retrieved her weapon not caring about the blood she was losing and sank into a defensive stance to face her enemy head on. They would pay for what they did to her! She was getting ready to strike when the Illusionary Ino stepped forward, hands in a placating gesture.

"Look, I know your scared, but we are friends. You are Sakura Haruno, you like reading, stuffed animals and your favorite food is fruit with Jell-O and red bean paste! You hate spicy food and you are my best friend despite everything I said…" Ino said tearing up. "You are also a big crybaby and um… to hell with it! If you don't believe me hit me already! I can take it!"

Sakura felt the I.V. stand fall to the ground with a clang as new tears began to spill from her eyes and her mouth began to quiver. "I-Ino…I-I…"

Ino ran over and embraced her and Sakura was hit with the exhaustion and agony she was in. Ino…smelled nice…

The last thing she heard was Shikaku.

"What a drag…"

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Sakura woke again later but this time stayed in bed. She didn't feel any restraints this time at least not the conventional ones but the ones she did feel make her jump with fear once more. Ino had been holding her tightly like a teddy-bear while Sakura was splayed out nearly knocking Ino over the edge despite their closeness. Sakura's movement made both tumble off the hospital bed with and undignified yelp and squeal.

"Dammit Forehead!" Ino shouted not appreciating being woken up like that. Sakura just crumpled on the floor and began to tear up as she felt the swollen feeling pain all over her body. "Oh shit! Sakura, we need to get you back into bed!"

"Language." Inoichi barked in warning, easily picking up both little girls and setting them back on the hospital bed. Ino coiled around Sakura once more like a snake on a vine and Sakura was wondering if all this was real.

"Mr. Inoichi…what happened?" Sakura asked tensely. Inoichi frowned but sat down in the visitor's chair.

"A lot has happened, and I am not sure where to even begin. But first I would like to know what you remember." Inoichi said.

"All of it." Inoichi added seeing the way Sakura flinched.

"Do you promise not to hurt my mommy and daddy?" Sakura asked.

Inoichi's face became impassive. "I cannot make any promises, but I do not believe that will be a problem in this instance."

Sakura then hesitantly began explaining.

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"And then Ino hugged me and I fell asleep cause of blood loss…" Sakura said.

Inoichi shook his head in dismay. He had underestimated the amount of training the girl had when he put her in the civilian ward. Ninja were notoriously paranoid creatures but grounded in their own strange sense of logic and culture. While her mother had taught her to be careful she had not taught her the cultural rules every ninja knew, like not attacking those who attempted to heal you.

Healers were considered neutral in any conflict until attacked and could heal ally and enemy alike. Sakura had not known this and thought she was…to think she had actually thought that… but Inoichi understood her fear in context.

"Well you are safe now. You will need some extra time to heal since you managed to rip out your catheter and I.V." Inoichi winced in sympathy. "The one who kidnapped you is dead but there are some complications. At some point in your capture you were injected with an unknown gene altering substance. We were forced to continue the treatment until you were fully stable. You are now…let's just say extra-special."

Sakura sat stock still as her entire world crumbled. Again… did the universe just have some kind of grudge against her? Probably. Sakura hid her emotions this time not wanting Ino or Inoichi to worry about her.

"What do you mean extra-special?" Sakura asked.

"You have super powers now." Ino said bluntly. "Also, you're like a princess now."

"Super powers?" Sakura began. "Princess?"

Sakura did indeed have small white patches on her otherwise tan arms. Curious she examined them closer.

"She means, you have experienced a change in your genetic code which gives yourself abilities beyond what a normal human is capable of." A new voice said appearing in the door way making Sakura jump. He was a sight to behold. He was thin with a dead looking, black eyes with heavy bags under them nearly obscured by black shaggy hair and was wearing a long lab coat over a basic white shirt and shinobi pants. "You are considered a new bloodline and thus a new clan if you manage to reproduce."

He sat down in a chair next to Inoichi, well, perched would be the more appropriate term as he sat in a crouch on the edge of the seat looking more and more to Sakura like some kind of demented bird-person. Silence reigned for a few moments before Inoichi cleared his throat.

"Allow me to introduce Head Medic of Konoha Hospital, Dr. Yakushi." Inoichi said. "He has a son around your age he just adopted."

Dr. Yakushi didn't blink as he held his clipboard only by his pointer fingers and thumbs like it was some kind of both intriguing yet disgusting bug. "Patient 476 seems to be accepting the treatment well. While their-"

"Sakura Haruno." Sakura said. "My name is Sakura Haruno and I'm a girl."

He stopped, staring at Sakura like he noticed her for the first time.

"Don't interrupt me." He said in a disapproving monotone as he flipped through the papers. "Ah. Here it is. Their body was introduced to a retro virus to change the very nature of their DNA. They are currently genetically unstable as their body tries to correct the damage done to the DNA structures. Under the Konoha law 102 under subcategory 4 you have the choice of refusing service and the right of confidential silence under subcategory 5b. The Head of the Torture and Interrogation department has the ability to override this as well as the Hokage under serious enough threat to the village according to subcategory 2a but not under any other circumstances as your abilities are now considered under the same protection as the lines of Senju, Uzumaki, Hyuuga, Uchiha, Akimichi, and Aburame. Any other rights you may or may not have will be outlined to you by the nurse."

Turning to Inoichi he spoke, "Patient 476 is not contagious in any way however they should be kept away from any sick people as their immune system is weak as of right now. I will speak to the Hokage about the next phase of treatment. Goodbye all."

With that he turned around and walked out of the room without saying a word leaving the clipboard on Inoichi's lap. Both little girls were staring at him questioningly.

"Dr. Yakushi had what you could call a troubled childhood. Because of that he doesn't pick up on social cues well nor does he have much empathy, but he is a brilliant doctor and loyal to Konoha. He also has a soft spot for children as he adopted his son as soon as he heard about the poor boy's situation and he donates rather charitably to orphanages. He also was the only one to agree to see you after you attacked your other doctors." Inoichi said with a patient smile while Sakura cringed. "He can be a bit odd, but he is harmless."

"The guy had no eyebrows!" Ino said. "Is he like a gangster or something?"

"In the right light you have no eyebrows Ino…" Sakura rebuked softly. "But he is…strange? I don't know if I like him…"

"If you agree to it he will be your doctor from now on. He is rather strange but as his colleague I ask you to treat him normally." Inoichi said inclining his head. "Is there any other questions you have?"

"Umm…m-maybe two…" Sakura said. "What happened to Ino and where are my parents?"

Sakura had noticed the bandages and had wondered what had happened to Ino for her to be hurt but also wondered where her mommy and daddy were. They would usually run to her side if she was injured. Inoichi became impassive while Ino stilled before holding Sakura tightly.

"I-I'm sorry I just- "Sakura began noticing how uncomfortable Ino was.

"No. It's okay. Really daddy, just tell her. It will make it easier in the long run." Ino said cryptically.

"Ino was caught in an explosion meant as a trap for whoever found her. While we managed to save her eye and repair her ear she will have heavy scarring on the right side of her face. Even though Ino is fully healed right now she has elected to keep the bandages on. I will not force her if she is uncomfortable." Inoichi said quietly. "As for your parents they appear to have been…well…murdered by the enemy."

Sakura was shook to the core, yet no tears welled up nor did she make a sound.

"The bad guy…he's dead now… right?" Sakura asked.

Inoichi nodded.

"Good… I-I…I…hate him…" Sakura said shaking as the tears finally began to fall. Not in a blubbering mess like her usual crying. No. These were hot tears of anger. "I hate him so much!"

Ino just held her. "I know."

"I know this is hard right now but there are still some choices that need to be made. I will see to it that you get the best treatment possible." Inoichi said as he walked out of the room.

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"Ino…are you okay?" Sakura asked finally after she was done crying. Anger having given way to just an empty sadness. Now she just wondered how her friend was doing.

Ino looked impassive. "What do you mean?"

"Well…you…" Sakura started.

"Look like someone decided to cast me as a weird angry wrinkled alien but only did half the make up?" Ino said voice dripping with a sarcasm that Sakura would have expected from her mother not the up beat and cheerful yet bossy girl.

"I didn't mean it like that…" Sakura said looking down. She remembered what she did to Ino before. She hadn't asked for forgiveness yet and that burned in her throat and heart.

"I know…Sakura…I…I don't know." Ino said. "I'm not…cute anymore…I guess you get Sasuke after all."

"Ino! That's not true! Who knows maybe he likes- "Sakura started before she could notice the way Ino was trembling.

"Look at me!" Ino shouted angrily and ripping off her bandages. Half her face was fine but the other half…The doctors had done a fair job saving Ino's eye but the skin around it was an angry red and stretched thin across her face making it seem that someone, well someone did melt half her face off…

"I am ugly now! Nothing will ever change that I'm now-!" Ino started voice getting louder and tears coming to her eyes.

"Beautiful…" Sakura blurted out and Ino's mind ground to a halt. Seeing her shock Sakura continued. "You're beautiful. One side shows classic beauty…the other side shows that you're beautiful as a shinobi. The beautiful terrifying shinobi that survived all the missions she has gone through and will go through…"

"…you really think so?" Ino asked.

"Definitely. You are beautiful not because of your looks but because you're Ino…" Sakura affirmed.

Ino stared at her friend for a long time before starting to laugh so hard Sakura almost didn't notice the tears streaming down her friend's face. "…Thanks Forehead…I…I needed that…"

Sakura snuggled into her friend as sleep began to overtake her. "I know. Ino…thank you for… being here… love you…"

"Love you too Sakura." Ino said running her hands through Sakura's hair and holding her friend's slowly changing body closer to her own.

:

Inoichi was getting a tall stiff drink. His little girl was going to be just fine. Tsubaki had taken one look at the burns and nearly had a panic attack. Ino had taken that the wrong way of course but Tsubaki had not been repulsed by the burns, she had been shocked that her little girl had still been alive after that amount of damage.

"She's going to be okay…" Inoichi said softly to his drink. "She's going to be okay…"

:

Anko and company arrived in the Hokage's office. Before her was a full-on tribunal. Homura and Koharu on the right and left of the Hokage respectively. Anko blanched seeing the leaders seated with unwavering looks and she nearly buckled when she heard their first words. She was being set up…

"Anko Mitirashi. You have been brought before this council to determine if you are to be found guilty…"

:

A lone figure entered the Mist rebel hideout as the rebel leader contemplated the state of affairs. The civil war had been long and hard on the nations. The Mizukage…he was too powerful. Hopefully this would even the odds.

"Did you bring the package?" the man asked.

"Don't I always?" The man said simply, opening his cloak and pulled out three small syringes. "So…how much are you willing to pay?"

:

'I have found a way to slow down the disease…It required the use of Hashirama's cells, but it looks like the subject will be pulling through. I admit that I am becoming excited. If this works, then perhaps I can cure a certain follower of mine without resorting to more dangerous methods.'

-Lab Forty-Three transcript notes- The Abnormals Report

:

:

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the delay but I hope I managed to capture the emotions I was trying to portray. I try to make sure there are consequences both large and small for every action. Many times, these consequences are permanent.

I want to take a moment to apologize to the Guest I responded to. I was kind of immature and defensive…I thank you for the support of my story and I will strive to be better at responding to comments in the future.

Yes, Dr. Yakushi is more or less L from Death note. Yes, I did not write well enough to correctly portray Lord L. Yes, he will be a re-occurring character… Anko is probably in trouble… I will not make her die in vain though…

Sakura and Ino are complicated characters to write. On one side they are children. Immature, selfish, and ultimately innocent despite their upbringing. On the other hand, they are living in a world filled with pain and chaos all around them, so they are forced to grow up faster than their peers.

Ino was stripped of her beauty, the thing she based a lot of her confidence in, whether for good or ill. Sakura was stripped of her parents and with them her sole support network. Now while these two are together they will still have problems in their relationship as every good friendship does. Ino is still bossy and Sakura is still a crybaby and a bit of a minion.

Also, just because there are some words of affirmation does not mean these insecurities and issues will not rear their ugly heads again. That is just not how people work. Ino's self-consciousness of her burns will crop up from time to time and Sakura still hasn't really internalized that her parents are now dead, and she is being changed into some kind of freak. On the other side of the coin they are going to heal as well and not just wallow in angst for chapters.

Now what you may be wondering is if this will be another 'give Sakura a super power and make everything better' or 'give her angst and a good sensei besides Kakashi' story…most 'bad-ass Sakura' fics fall under one of the two categories. This is not really one of those stories… She will have 'Angst' and a 'Super-power' but not any of the other stuff… Even still I hope I can give it a different spin.

Remember in this story Sakura Haruno is a Hero but that doesn't mean there aren't consequences to people's actions. 'Cough cough *Pein*reviving*everyone* Cough cough *Naruto*reversing*the*eight*gates* Cough cough *Sasuke*Kabuto*and*Orochimaru*being*pardoned* Cough cough Baruto*still*being*a*ninja*despite*being*publicly*stripped*of*rank Cough cough… Man! Who let Hayate in here? Hehehe…

Lots of people make bloodlines something cool and desirable. I choose to see those affected with them like mutants from the X-men. Some find them amazing, some want to weaponize them, most fear them. Sakura is a true freak even amongst bloodline users. Sakura's power is going to be something that sounds a bit edgy…okay a lot edgy and overpowered but in function is actually pretty balanced in the Naruto world when compared to pretty much everything else...

There is no clan, thus no techniques that she can use right off the bat. She is just going to be mutated not inherently understand or have grasp of every in and out of how her body has changed… Technically it will never even be a 'bloodline' but a 'body modification'. It cannot be passed on either so don't start thinking of how it will be mixed in the next generation…

Oh gosh…I have plans for the next generation…damn…I'm in this for the long run huh?

As always thank you and please review! They give me validation!


	8. The Bonds Between Us

Chapter 8: The bonds between us

A/N: Shout out to Suzululu4Moe for always giving such critical reviews. I actually found a lot of inspiration for writing from your comments. I hope some of the questions you had were addressed and if you have any more let me know.

As always full Author's not below and Thank you for supporting.

:

DISCLAIMER. I am only doing one of these so listen up! I OWN NOTHING! Dr. Yakushi is based off of L from 'Death Note' and the original story of 'Naruto' belongs to Misashi Kishimoto! Please support the official release and by lots of their merch!

Cool?

Cool.

Now let's get this show on the road!

LIGHTS!

CAMREA!

THREE!

TWO!

ONE!

MAKE SOME NOISE!

:

:

'I've made some progress. It has been long and difficult, but I have finally managed to render Hashirama's cells to the point they could be integrated into one's body. It is still in the beginning stages, but I project optimistically that we will soon be able to regrow or reattach limbs, heal diseases and make our shinobi more resilient in battle a hundred-fold. Subjects begin testing tomorrow morning.'

-Lab Forty-Three transcript notes, The Abnormal's report.

:

Bile rose Kurenai's throat as she realized what was going on. She didn't know Anko too well, she didn't even like Anko but this…this was disgusting. They were trying to pass off the blame. Kurenai thought it was all some kind of sick joke but they were actually going through with it. Though she didn't show it Kurenai was genuinely horrified. Earlier last year she very well could have been in this woman's shoes with how the Kurama clan extinction had gone.

Kurenai could feel her mask breaking as she was dismissed, and the trial went on. She…she could have been right where Anko was now. Not knowing if she would live or die… Not knowing if living was worth it… Kurenai swore to herself if the woman got out of this alive they would become friends if it killed her.

:

Anko was numb. The facts were laid out before her. She had split off from the group. She had ignored a superior's recommendation, and the little girl she had administered the toxic substance was now scarred for life with a body modification she never asked for. It all washed over her like water over a smooth stone. The one thing that did hurt her however was when the old lady slipped on her name.

"Furthermore Kanad-"the old woman started.

"My. name. is. ANKO." Anko ground out. "I don't care what you lay against me. I will own up to my own mistakes… but I am not that scared little girl following her master. I am Anko Mitirashi now. For better or for worse. I… humbly apologize for interrupting."

Koharu had the decency to look embarrassed. "Forgive me…. Ms. Mitirashi… Furthermore, you have been found with documents pertaining to the case."

And so, the trial continued.

:

Elsewhere Dr. Yakushi was reading over the files laid strewn about in Anko's apartment. The level of disorganization displeased him but not so much as the abominations created. The sheer amount of wasted life disgusted him. There wasn't even that much to show for it. If he ever met Orochimaru he would do all he could to destroy the creature…

Dr. Yakushi was briefly reminded of a conversation he had with the Hokage just moments before the 'trial' of the woman whose apartment he was now perched in.

'How much was one life worth when compared to the peace of many?'

It had been an odd question to say the least. He had come by to tell the Hokage his finding's and report on Patient 476's status as a new bloodline/body modification recipient and the man had sprung that question on him.

Dr. Yakushi's response had been to ask if the life was innocent and then to reaffirm that no matter if innocent or no the law must be followed. That was how order was kept.

The Hokage had then asked what the law was and had to stop him from reciting from memory all nine thousand laws with all their subsections. He then asked him to sum up what he thought the laws were meant to protect.

Thrown off by this question Dr. Yakushi had simply replied that the law was to protect the village and it's people.

The Hokage had merely smiled and dismissed him before summoning the woman for her 'trial'.

What a strange man…

:

"I believe that is everything Lord Hokage. We as the council seek your judgement." Homura said.

The Hokage looked passive before he inclined his head. He stared at the woman before him. She was kneeling in a traditional pose that all his ninja did when being addressed by a superior. Her head however was down, her hand hung limply beside her. He could see the near imperceivably shaking as this woman feared for her life. He could almost see the marks of the floor in front of her where either she dripped in a cold sweat or tears had actually fallen. Hiruzen's mind snapped to a decision.

"Anko Mitirashi is pardoned of all crimes." He said in a small voice.

The surprised silence in the room was palpable.

"What do you mean by that Hiruzen?" Koharu asked.

"What I said. Anko Mitirashi is pardoned of all crimes." The Hokage reaffirmed. "By the power vested in me by the Dynamo of the Land of Fire and by right of holding the title of Third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, I declare her innocent of all charges."

Anko stared at the man dumbfounded while the councilors gave each other wary looks.

"Both Hound and Shibi Aburame have put in a good word for you." The Hokage said turning his full attention to Anko. "Inoichi is grateful you saved one of his men from the toxin by having an antivenin on your person and because of your efforts Dr. Yakushi was able to turn what would have been a grievous loss into a mitigated one. If you or any other person involved were harassed send them to me and I will figure it out from there. You are dismissed. All of you except Anko."

Slowly and awkwardly all left the room, including the councilors whispering and looking rather confused.

"Sir. Permission to speak freely?" Anko asked.

"Will I regret it?"

"Yes sir." Anko said straight faced.

"Might as well get it over with. Permission granted."

"What the literal hell was all that about!?" Anko exploded.

"Sigh…well I guess I better explain…"

:

"- So I had a choice to make. Sacrifice one soul for the good of the village or place all the blame on myself and lose my position as Hokage and the safety of the village would be compromised." Hiruzen explained as Anko became more dumbfounded with every following word.

"Then…why?" Anko asked. "Don't get me wrong I am happy to be alive or hell die for the sake of the village, but I am afraid I don't understand the logic."

Hiruzen walked to the window of his office looking out to all of Konoha and took a deep breath.

"What is the purpose of laws?" Hiruzen asked.

"To protect the order and stability of the village…right?" Anko answered unsure where this was going.

"The purpose of laws is to provide order and stability for the next generation." Hiruzen answered. "I have often talked with my son over a game of shogi. Are you familiar with the game?"

"Pretty much…Pawns, knights and all that to capture the King yeah?"

"The purpose of the game is to protect the king…I have found that an excellent analogy for the Will of Fire which I pray to God burns brightly in each of my shinobi." Hiruzen said. "To protect the village…not for our sakes but for the lives that follow…that they may know a world without war or desolation…That is why the village was founded. I have always strived to protect the village for that purpose. I…I am not perfect and have made more mistakes then probably any shinobi alive…but I stand by that. As Hokage I have had to make some hard decisions in the last year… this one was one of the hardest. I could have easily sent you to die. Many Kage would…but I then remembered all the people who look up to me, all those who look to me as Hokage and dream of being like me… I wondered what each of them thought I would do. Am I the kind of Hokage they can look up to with pride? Am I the man that can look a man in the eye and tell him he must die for his village and then not be willing to even accept the consequences for my own mistakes? No. I will be the Hokage this generation can look up to even when making a mistake. As for the doubts of the villagers and other nations… I hope you can trust in me to keep them at bay a little longer. You were honestly innocent, and I was surprised how many came to your defense. Even Ms. Yuhi looked ready to defend you during the trial. Hound…has decided to take the fall for your actions. He will be retiring from ANBU and returning to General Ops. I have been meaning to retire him for some time now, so it will all work out."

"But I am the one who-"

"Hound was your superior. He didn't strictly order you to stay with him and he accepts the blame. He has a strong enough reputation that he can shoulder that. Even as he returns to General Ops he will have an out by letting the identity of 'Hound' disappear." Hiruzen said. "Now! I have a proposition for you… I hear you have an apartment that needs a little tidying up…"

:

Sakura awakes much like before in the arms of her friend Ino except this time Ino doesn't wake yet. She had kept the bandages off and Sakura had a long time to look at her. She really was beautiful like she had said. Her golden locks actually matched her burnt skin color wise. Sakura had learned from her mother that burns tend to fade and either become flesh colored or turn whitish. Either one would make her friend more beautiful still.

A pang hit her chest as she began to realize her mother and father were really gone. All at once it felt like she couldn't breath and her eyes began to water. She felt like she would do just about anything to see them again. For them to come bursting into her hospital room loud banter as always. Her mother would chide and fuss over her while her father would scoop her up, probably despite the cords and make some tactless pun like, 'We didn't expect you to be so _wired._ ' Or 'I thought this was a hospital! Where is all the _hospitality_?' or more than likely, 'Should probably keep you away from your mother for a while…you don't need any more _toxic influences_.'

Sakura snuggled closer into Ino's embrace. Her heart hurt but there was something she needed to accept. Her mother and father weren't the best people. Her father had made her lie to Ino and hurt her friend. Her mother had taught her to be afraid of everything and she had ended up hurting the people who worked at the hospital because of that fear. Swallowing her guilt and more than little apprehension she shook her friend.

"Hey Ino?"

Ino opened a bleary eye. "What is it Sakura?"

"…I need to tell you something…"

"What?" Ino said sleeply.

"I…I lied…"

"About what?" Ino said straightening up a bit.

And so, Sakura spilled her guts to her friend. She told Ino about how her words had hurt her the first time they had really talked about their feeling about Sasuke. She told her about the time she tried to confess. The turmoil of not knowing who her parent's really were…all of that was easy in comparison to the real reason she was telling Ino all of this.

She told her about how she had found out that her father and mother might be bad guys, how they were wearing different headbands than Konoha's and how her father made her break off their friendship. She was crying at that point so hard she could barely talk but Ino just sat stalk still.

"I…I don't expect you to forgive me… I can understand if you don't want to be friends anymore but if we can I still want to-"Sakura was suddenly and soundly slapped. Shocked Sakura held where she had been hit as the pain seemed to radiate from the slap all over her face.

Ino had tears running down her good eye. She looked angry. "That was for lying to me…"

Sakura was caught off guard once again by yet another slap. "That was for playing with my feelings and manipulating me…"

Suddenly Sakura was brought into a bone crushing hug as Ino shuddered letting all her feelings finally flow out. Sakura could feel her hot tears from her friend beginning to soak her hospital gown. "…and this is for telling me I am still beautiful, for being my friend enough to tell me the truth, and for wanting to…still be my friend…despite everything…"

Sakura and Ino held each other for another moment before letting each other go. Sakura looked like a snot riddled bunny and Ino looked like a half-burnt chipmunk.

"We both look awful when we cry…" Sakura commented.

"I know right?" Ino said dabbing her eyes and flinching when she felt the burns.

Sakura looked worried. "Do they still hurt?"

Ino shook her head. "Not really. Most of the nerves were destroyed… I just…I just can't believe I am going to have to live with this..."

Sakura looked perplexed. "Can't they just heal it?"

Ino bonked her on the head. "No dummy! Daddy said they can only do so much healing with medical chakra as the body can end up with a lack of resources! It's fine for big gaping holes in your chest or if you broke a bone but the medics also try to let your body heal! You should hear the stuff Uncle Choza and Shikaku talk about. Both coulda been medics… My whole body was pretty much half burnt away…I am lucky I still have both eyes, working ears and all my fingers, toes, basic feeling in my right side and mobility! These guys worked miracles lemme tell ya! But the scars…they'll stay…They will get better with time, but they will always be there. I am probably just going to wear a transformation jutsu and let my hair grow out, so I can cover that side with my bangs…"

Sakura frowned. "But you told me not to do that when I was trying to hide my forehead…"

"You were trying to cover your forehead by styling your hair like a sheep-dog. I am going to tactfully hide a small blemish to my person with a fabulous new haircut!" Ino said with an egotic flip of her hair. Ino frowned. "I'm going to need to stop doing that…"

Sakura suppressed a giggle at her friend's antics. Sakura looked up at her friend shyly. "So…are we still friends?"

"Duh." Ino said matter-o-factly. "You were pressured by your dad and thought you were trying to keep your mom safe from my dad and now both of them are- shit!"

Ino went pale and had both hands covering her mouth. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean it like that!"

Sakura's face was blank only a pained smile let Ino know she had been hurt. "It's fine. As long as we're still friends…Not to pressure you or anything but it would kinda suck if I lost them and you decided not to be my friend anymore…"

Ino looked a little dumbstruck. "…I mean that much to you?"

"Yeah…" Sakura said slowly. "I don't know if you noticed but you are kinda my only friend…"

"What? I thought you were friends with Yuki and Risa." Ino said brow furrowing.

"Yuki is more of an acquaintance, we sit together in Kunoichi classes sometimes when you are off with your other friends and Risa is Yuki's best friend. Yuki doesn't really talk to me and would really rather hang out with Risa." Sakura said. "It's just kinda... you know…awkward."

"Huh." Ino said dumbfoundedly looking up at the ceiling as if she had just learned a great secret to the universe. Ino's single eyebrow shot into her hairline suddenly. "Wait, wait, wait, wait! Hold up! Do…you mean to tell me your parents are…gone, you were the subject of genetic experimentation and have no friends except me, and the boy you like thinks you are trying to get stronger to challenge him to a fight?"

With every word Sakura curled tighter and tighter in on herself until she was a depressed ball of self-pity and depression. "Well…when you put it like that…"

"And you still risked telling me the truth though you knew it would probably only hurt you…and you did it all only because of extenuating circumstances…Damn…" Ino said in awe. "Okay! It's official. We have moved our relationship from best friends forever to freaking All-but-blood-sisters!"

"Really?" Sakura said slowly uncurling. "How is that any different than best friends?"

"Dummy! This means we are going to be as close as if we were real sisters! My dad and Shikaku and Choza are All-but-blood-brothers! It means if you have problems you come tell me and vice versa!" Ino said.

"So, I've been adopted as your sister…" Sakura said.

Ino held up a finger. "All-but-blood-sister. You will always be able to find shelter at my home, I will be able to help you in court, I more-or-less swear to defend you with my life, and you are totally going to have my kids and your kids either at least best friends since birth status or married. The only thing I can't give you this way is my inheritance, jutsu, and family name. Those all only come with blood…"

"So, I can call your mom 'Mom'?" Sakura asked.

"No inheritance remember? You can call her that, and I'm pretty sure she'd let you, but you don't get the last name Yamanaka unless you marry in." Ino explained.

Sakura nodded slowly before sinking back into the hospital bed.

"What do I give back?" Sakura asked. Ino turned to look at the little girl on the hospital bed. "I mean I don't know if I have a home anymore, I don't know anything about court, I am weaker than you jutsu wise, I mean you told me you can pretty much take over people's bodies! How am I going to get stronger than that?! Also…what the doctor said…I don't know if I'll be able to even have kids…I'll…have to ask him…"

It was quite the sobering thought. Sakura had always wanted a family, handsome husband and to be a mom… now…she didn't know what she wanted. She wanted to be a ninja still but…

Finally, Ino spoke up, "Honestly you can make it up to me the usual way… you know, not lying to me, being my friend, telling me if my pants make my butt too big…"

Sakura frowned. "I thought you said you forgave me…"

"No. I said we were obviously still friends." Ino clarified, face hardening as she looked down at the covers of the hospital bed. "I still love you like a sister but…right now… I need some time to rebuild my trust in you. Sorry that my feelings are all over the place. I dub you my sister one minute and then tell you I don't trust you completely the next must be very confusing but that's just the way I'm feeling right now. I adore you but you hurt me in a way that makes big wounds and I think we both need time to heal. I hope you understand I don't hate you. I just have to…you know?"

Sakura felt her blood run cold in guilt but nodded in consent. "O-okay Ino..."

"Don't worry. I'm sure that you will be able to make it up to me soon enough." Ino said. "You are practically my sister now after all. Honestly if you had kept it a secret and never told me then I would've been…upset…but since you told me, at no small cost of your own…yeah we're sisters now…just…don't do it again. Dammit. I'm gonna need to talk to Daddy to work on these trust issues now. You probably need it even more so maybe I can get us both an appointment with Aunty Asami but-"

Sakura let Ino ramble on about her crazy family. It hurt her to know she had seriously violated her friend's trust like that but she knew the consequences even as she did it. She felt at ease knowing her friend would forgive her…eventually. Laying her head down once more she snuggled next to Ino. The I.V. in her arm stung as a new round of pain killers entered her body and she could taste the saline in her mouth. Slowly she began to drift off.

"Ino?"

"Yeah Forehead?"

"Thanks."

"No problem…Sis…" Ino said with a soft smile.

:

"So, let me get this straight." Anko asked in clarification. "You hated my guts but since you began to empathize with me seeing the 'trial' you decided that we were going to become friends?"

Anko watched as Kurenai knocked back another stiff drink. "Yup."

"You do know I can't really get drunk right?" Anko asked.

"Yup." Kurenai said.

"Nor do narcotics really work on me." Anko said with a raised eyebrow. "or any other kind of drug really-"

"Yes, yes…enough about your biology!" Kurenai said as she poured herself another glass. She was in the mood to get really, really hammered. "I know what it feels like."

"Miss Prissy Bitch-Faced Goody-Two-Shoes know what being in a court martial for…I don't really know what to call it… endangering a minor?"

Kurenai scowled at the nickname before knocking back that shot as well. "Yup. I…I'm kinda the reason the Kurama clan is now nearly extinct."

Anko was once again dumbfounded. "How…?"

"A year or two ago I had a shot at making Jonin." Kurenai began. "I made Chunin at age thirteen but still haven't gotten recommended. I'm twenty-two now, nearly twenty-three, and I don't think I will ever make Jonin at how bad I screwed up this mission…"

Kurenai poured yet another glass this time sipping it instead of chugging. "I was assigned to help this little girl. Yakumo was her name. Good, sweet kid. She was the clan heiress to the Kurama clan. I was assigned to tutor her; the whole clan had a knack for genjutsu but this little girl had something special. She could make anything that could happen in a genjutsu real. So real it could actually kill people by being trapped in a genjutsu. Her clan called it 'Dream World' or 'Demon Realm' and it was their clan bloodline. I…I tried to help her, but she was just two small…so tiny and so sickly…her mind was a force to be reckoned with, but her body was two weak to be a full-time ninja. I was forced to tell her parents…she heard us. Yakumo…she had some unexpected mental problems… many who have the dream world ability have mental health issues but since we were starting so young and being so careful we thought we would be able to mitigate the concerns. She had dissociative identity disorder. Spilt personality if you will… she didn't react well…well the other one didn't. Her genjutsu made it seem the house was on fire. Almost all of the clan members died, including the parents of the girl. When she came to she was horrified of what she had done. She was never the same. She couldn't trust her own mind. She begged me to help her find a way to help her. Anything."

Kurenai finished off her glass before setting the container down.

"I found an old scroll that contained the 'Evil Sealing Method' in my Dad's old stuff. I tried to help her by sealing away the other personality using the seal…How could I be so stupid? I ended up ripping her mind in half as the formula stripped away almost all her chakra. She died of a brain hemorrhage…It was all my fault… The clan didn't hold it against me because…after what she did…they hailed me as a freaking hero! Declared me 'Genjutsu Mistress of Konoha' for killing a small child…in the worst way possible." Kurenai shuddered as she was drunk enough to spill her guts but not enough to cry. Anko narrowed her eyes. "You and I aren't that different…"

"Bullshit." Anko said suddenly. Kurenai looked up sharply. "Look here bitch. You are just a sorry bitch who never got a shoulder to cry on for killing a kid. Boo-hoo. Don't give me any of that shit. Yeah you might never make Jonin but who the hell cares? Look… you know what, screw it! I don't need to explain to you. You're just some bitch wallowing is self-pity... "

Kurenai looked like she had been slapped before all of her shock turned to red hot rage.

"You think I shared that story because I wanted your pity?! I was trying to help you!" Kurenai said shaking with anger. "I was trying to be empathetic and-"

"You. Know. Nothing. Absolutely nothing of what I've been through." Anko said in a harsh whisper. Kurenai managed not to flinch but couldn't help but think she sounded like a snake. "And I don't need to explain myself to you. Just know that there is a lot more than you know and if you try digging into my past I will make what you did to little Yakumo seem like a mercy killing. Leave. Now."

Kurenai saw her out and left with a sense of prissy dignity that Anko could never hope to achieve.

'So, Miss Prissy McBitch-bitch has some juicy secrets…' Anko thought to herself. 'She left out that sealing a child requires the consent of parent or the Hokage. Knowing Miss Priss, she probably had permission which means either her parents or the Hokage was either stupid thinking it would help or wanted the little girl dead and made it look like an accident…interesting. Still doesn't explain why they didn't send someone like Kakashi if they wanted me to have someone to empathize with. Poor bastard has enough shit going on with him I think my situation would actually help him…'

Suddenly a thought occurred to her as she looked around what appeared to be a red lights district. "Where the hell am I?!"

:

A/N: Shorter chapter this time. Huh.

Sorry for the trial scare. I was still waffling on whether I was really going to kill Anko. My style of writing is that I supply the backstories and the characters decide what to do and I open a window to let you see what they're doing. Pretty much once I write a character it is another cog in a machine. My version of Sakura, Ino, Anko, Kurenai, the Hokage…they are all their own characters and have their own motivations and thoughts, I just write down what I think they would do in those situations and let my own inconsistency and randomness make it seem real. But the world doesn't just stop and let the narrator finish his expositional dialogue. Shit's happening everywhere.

For example, the Hokage's first reaction was to kill Anko for the greater good, but off screen when we were focused on a lot of other characters he came to a decision which I feel is pretty in character with him. It was a little wrinkle that I felt added character to the canvas, so I kept it in.

It is really handy writing from different character perspectives and I have been having fun with that, but it is really difficult as they have thoughts conflicting with the psychological and symbolic narrative… Yeah…there is one of those too. Also, there is the problem of either the action doesn't come soon enough or that it never seems to move on, but I accept those as my own faults. I'll see if I can't create circumstances where more consistent story plots can happen.

I'll get to the 'battle shonen' stuff soon. _Wait_ till you see what I have cooked up for Sakura's new super power…it's gonna be pretty cool. In my opinion at least.

What do you think of Anko-Kurenai and Sakura-Ino's relationship dynamic? If you have any questions…I could always do with more inspiration.

As always thanks guys and thanks for supporting me in this. It really means a lot.


	9. Blood

Chapter 9: Blood

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A/N: I am working on this immediately after posting the last chapter. If all goes well these plot bunnies will finally leave me alone!

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'The reports have come back with odd findings. Hashirama's cells are more nuanced then originally anticipated. The man has three, maybe four bloodlines? How is this even possible? By all rights he should have died as a child or these genes should not have reappeared. Wood release, healing factor, and then there is his special connection to Sage chakra. He doesn't even have a summon to learn it from, he just did it… Truly this miracle is what led him to be known as the God of Shinobi. Perhaps I can isolate his genes further…'

-Lab Forty-Three Transcript notes, The Abnormals Report

:

It was spring time now. Sakura had been alarmed to know that her parents had been released from the morgue and been given a shinobi burial. That is to say erased from existence without a trace. It had been hard for her to know she had literally nothing from her parents and didn't even have a grave to visit. She swore once she got out of the hospital she would make a little alter in her secret base.

Her house was being emptied of their stuff and put into storage. She got some of her stuffed animals back and Iruka had visited her in the hospital along with her Kunoichi teacher Ms. Suzume. The visit had been nice, but they had been startled by her appearance. Since the day she had woken up she had noticed little white spots all over her body. They had begun to grown until she was now covered in patches of white flesh beside her normally creamy complexion. Her hair had been turning a paler pink and her eyes were turning a darker green.

Her eyes were nearly black now and she now looked like a she had been dipped in acid to wash away her coloring. Surprisingly that was not far off from the truth. The visit was nice, but it got awkward as they had begun to stare at her with pitying looks.

Ino thought she looked cool. She had taken to wearing long sleeves with wrappings and gloves. Her transformation jutsu was only good for shorter stints so she had to take frequent rests to get her stamina back. Ino had likened the discomfort to trying to hold your stomach in all day and not letting go until you get home.

Sakura had really appreciated Ino coming by and giving her at least some brief respite from either the loneliness of being in a hospital room or being under the observations of Dr. Yakushi. The man was …strange…to say the least.

Sakura had found out he never wore shoes. At first Sakura found it unsanitary but she then found she had no right to judge as she also didn't have shoes to wear either. She had been in the middle of a small growth spurt before the kidnapping and now she was too big for most of her clothes. She had also found out he liked Coffee with his sugar.

It wasn't the other way around… She had asked…

Other than that, though the man was a mystery.

:

Because of her stunt the first day she woke, the medical personnel avoided her if possible. Not that they wouldn't do their jobs. Far from it. It's just they would tend not to talk to her if she was on the way to a different department in the hospital or ask her how her day was like she had seen with the other patients.

She could hear them whisper sometimes. Many people either forgot she had shinobi training or severely underestimated her. Right now, in the cafeteria she could hear the many conversations around the tables.

' _Have you heard about Patient 476? She is a mutant now.'_

' _I don't know if I should feel sorry for her or not.'_

' _Is she a risk to security? She took out like three men!'_

' _That girl is dangerous. Never be in the room alone if you can.'_

' _Dr. Yakushi is a brave man. That little shit broke my collarbone in seconds of meeting me.'_

' _I heard Dr. Yamada still gets headaches from what she did to his head.'_

' _What are they doing letting her out around normal people like us?'_

"I can hear you." Sakura said suddenly. Dr. Yakushi looked up from his cake. The cafeteria was small as the number of doctors and assistants at lunch at any given time was usually less than fifty. Now all the cafeteria looked at her. Could feel her eyes water. "I can always hear you…I'm not a…freak…I never asked for this!"

Sakura broke down into tears. Dr. Yakushi got up and walked her out of the room. She could still hear them.

' _She…heard us? How?'_

' _She has to be lying to get attention. There is no way a girl that young is that skilled. Maybe from a jonin or chunin…'_

' _She's a monster.'_

As they walked away Dr. Yakushi was holding gently by the shoulder like the demented crow he was wrapped a wing around her. "You should have told me that you could hear them."

"You knew?" Sakura asked through tears.

"I hear like you do." He confided. "I am what is called a 'sensor type' or 'medical ninja'. Most of the doctors here are less than Genin in combat prowess. This includes sensory skills. Even the great Lady Tsunade is considered the best in all the elemental nations not because she is the greatest medic but because she is the greatest 'Combat Medic'. It is worthless to believe all our doctors are as good or just under her level. You should just ignore them and try not to make the situation worse, so they have something to talk about. Doctors can be some of the worst in the rumor mill despite the whole patient confidentiality… Anything besides your actual medical work or record is fair game to them."

"But I thought doctors were supposed to be nice…"

"Whoever told you that is an idiot." Dr. Yakushi said. "Bedside manner and individual personalities aside, doctors are supposed to be respectful and trustworthy, but being nice is not in our job description."

Dr. Yakushi looked straight ahead. "I, for example, am the foremost specialist in Morgue Work with a specialty in Genetics and advise on Gene related Emergency Trauma such as adverse reactions to food pills among bloodline users. What I do in Morgue Work is not nice. I break people's bones, disembowel them, re-start and stop their hearts and usually play with their dead bodies when I am done." Dr. Yakushi frowned noticing Sakura's horrified expression. "I do this, so I can discover the cause of death and report it. I also help decipher enemy abilities from their corpses and help 'retire' bodies of those of our allies who have fallen. For example, an Akimichi falls in battle. Their body has trace amounts of the special food pills that allow them greater access to chakra and other abilities. If I were on the enemy side I would take the body retrieved by the front lines and discover their secrets, so our ninja have similar abilities or give them an edge in battle."

"So…you _are_ nice." Sakura said.

"How do you mean?" Dr. Yakushi asked with a furrowed brow.

"Mommy…" Sakura said before swallowing as a wave of guilt and sadness hit her. "Mommy said ninja do bad things for their village and in the end what they do is the fault of the village leader. Mom said not to go crazy as the village also wouldn't like it if you killed a bunch of people though…"

"Hmm… Your mother was a very smart lady." Dr. Yakushi said.

:

Ino had managed to convince the medics to let her finally take Sakura out of the hospital. The first place they went to was the Yamanaka flower shop to pick up some flowers before heading to the Aburame compound. Sakura had been made to wear a large pink hat to cover her changing hair and eyes and a new dress Ino had given her while the blonde wore a nice dress and her transformation technique. Sakura was a bit sheepish about all of this.

"Ino are you sure it is okay to come to Mr. Aburame's house uninvited?" Sakura asked.

"It would be ruder to not come over!" Ino said enthusiastically. "It's been like three months now! If we don't come over and say thank you to Mr. Aburame he will like hate us forever! 'Sides Mom already called ahead."

"Oh…okay…" Sakura said.

The house was rather…normal. Sakura had expected a more 'buggy' theme or a haunted looking house, but it was actually very modern looking. As they approached a couple of bugs began to buzz around them causing Sakura to begin to panic before Ino placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Daddy told me these are sentry bugs. They guard the place. Just keep still and let them 'smell you' they will eventually see we mean no harm and back away to tell the clan we are here." Ino said.

Sakura didn't really like bugs so watching them swarm and land on her filled her with a level of 'nope' that she could barely describe however her 'inner' was able to experience most of the discomfort for her. Eventually half the bugs left while the rest stayed and buzzed around them.

After what seemed like an eternity a boy came out of the compound. It was Shino from her class. The boy was strange but not strange like Dr. Yakushi. He was his own brand of weird.

"Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno why are you here at my home?" Shino asked.

Ino stepped forward carefully to present the flowers. "We came as soon as both of us were able to give your father these flowers as thanks for saving my life and assisting in the retrieval of my best friend. She has come with me to also thank your father for the service provided to her."

Sakura had heard Inoichi lecture Ino on using proper language with the Aburame clan and coach her on what to say and how not to sound offensive for nearly forty minutes before coming over here.

Shino took the flowers gracefully. "We accept your token of thanks. We had begun to worry you had forgotten…"

Ino bowed slightly. "The Yamanaka Clan is in your father's debt. Forgive us for the time it took to reach you. As you know both Sakura and I have been in the hospital and both of us thought it proper to present the gift together."

Shino nodded. "Would you like an audience with Father?"

"Whatever is most agreeable." Ino said. "But we would be grateful for an audience with the Lord of the Aburame if he is available."

"Very well. Follow me and mind where you step." Shino said with a nod and walked off as Sakura and Ino followed. "Also drop the Transformation and leave the hat at the door or my clansmen will get suspicious."

Ino hesitated before bringing her hands to a ram seal and dropped the Transformation and Sakura took her hat off. Shino didn't react to Ino's scars but raised an eyebrow at Sakura.

"You were affected as well?" Shino asked. Sakura flinched before looking away.

"In more ways then one." Sakura said in a quite voice.

Shino's eyebrows shot straight up. "Please forgive me my blunder. I was not aware-"

Sakura had already been uncomfortable, but this was the final nail in the coffin. She slammed down her mental walls and let Inner feel while her face became a perfect mask for a second before giving him a small uneasy crooked smile. "Don't worry about it. We are here for to see your father to thank him for saving my friend's life after all."

"Right. Of course." Shino said awkwardly leading them through the compound.

The compound was very nice. It had lots of plants and little fountains throughout the well-lit courtyard. Going around back Sakura could see some of Shino's clan diligently feeding insects or looking at them as if they were interesting bugs. Their stares were uncomfortable but when they waved it made it less so.

They got to a small area that looked like a butterfly garden. There were flowers and tall grasses. Tall fruit trees beginning to bud and the smell of damp earth and soil. Lord Aburame seemed to be using his insects to help the flowers pollenate. He had regrown his hair mostly, but his eyebrows were missing much like Ino's was, his face was mostly okay though as he had been struck mostly from behind as he had rushed to get Ino out of the way of the explosion. While Shino had been strange and stand-offish Lord Aburame seemed to perk up a bit at and even smile seeing the two little girls.

"Shino. It seems you have brought guests." Lord Aburame said. Shino shuffled in place but remained impassive.

"Father. Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno have come as soon as possible to give you an offering of thanks for saving the life of Ms. Yamanaka and assisting in the retrieval of Ms. Haruno." Shino said introducing them. Sakura and Ino bowed slightly before presenting the flowers to the man.

"Thank you." Sakura said softly. "For saving her."

Lord Aburame inclined his head. "I accept your thanks as well as your gift. Forgive me for not coming to visit you in the hospital. I have heard you have been having a rough time there with your parents gone."

Sakura's 'inner' was crying but since she had her walls up she managed to kept it off her face. "It's okay. It has been…hard, but with Ino by my side it has been less so."

Ino beamed at the praise and they delved into small talk asking about the kinds of trees he was working with and Lord Aburame seemed delighted to see them interested in insects like crickets, lady bugs and butterflies. Finally, it was nearly lunch time and they needed to go.

"Thank you Lord Aburame. This was wonderful." Ino said.

"The pleasure was all mine." Lord Aburame said. "Before you leave, it is customary amongst my clan to ask if there is anything we can do to help, especially to orphans."

The unasked question stung but Sakura's face was a near perfect mask. While hurt by the question Sakura gave him her sweetest smile. "I'll be alright. If I need anything I'll let you know."

Lord Aburame was silent a moment as he studied her face. "Very well…Thank you for coming."

As Shino escorted them out Lord Aburame was troubled. He'd need to talk to Inoichi about this…

:

As Sakura and Ino walked back to the Yamanaka compound Tsubaki Yamanaka got a call on the phone*.

"Hello. Is this the household of Inoichi of the Yamanaka clan?" a strange monotone voice asked.

"Yes, it is. May I ask who is speaking?" Tsubaki said remembering her phone manners.

"This is a Nana of the Aburame clan." Nana said. "May I speak to either Mr. Inoichi or Mrs. Tsubaki?"

"I am Mrs. Tsubaki. Come on Nana are you going to be this formal all the time?" Tsubaki teased.

There was a light chuckle from the other end.

"Sorry, sorry… I jes' get really freaked out, calling ya on the phone ya know what I mean?" Nana said voice becoming it's normal drawl. She had a thick accent from the backwoods Land of Vegetables where she was raised. She had married into the clan and was now the wife of Lord Aburame. They were a rather sweet couple. The story of their meeting and falling in love over insects and gardening was a classic love story.

"Living at the Aburame clan compound probably doesn't help much." Tsubaki said smiling over the phone.

"Hon', I love my husband, but he can be so damn unreadable at times! Why jus today right after the girls left, lovely lill' thangs I tell ya, they did great I hear, course I had to be out shoppin' an not pinching none of those cheeks, lill' Sakura is so 'dorable and I'm always loving lill' Ino's spunk, ma boy Shino lemme tell ya, is always so 'dorable round pretty young thangs like them, but anyways! Shibi was asking me to call ya'll." Nana said. "Said somethin' like 'Sakura has a locked heart an' a repressed self'. Said you or yer husband would understand."

Tsubaki was silent a moment as her blood ran cold. "Are…are you sure that is what he said?"

"What, is it that bad?" Nana asked. "Hon…are the girls gonna be alrigh'? You sound mighty worried."

"Yes. They'll be fine." Tsuabaki said. "I'll call for Inoichi at work and we will see about getting that rectified. Tell Shibi thank you for us. They may have just saved our girls again."

"That bad huh… Well, I have ta letcha go Hon'. Hubby wants to show me this amaaazing new critter he got. It's a giant moth he imported from the Continent! We jus got them as eggs, an they hatched few days ago, an now they're nearly mature." Nana gushed. "They are gonna to be jus fine Hon'. Yer beau has a good head on his shoulders, he'll know what ta do. Alrighty Darlin' bes let ya go then! Buh-Bye!"

Tsubaki smiled. "Goodbye. Thank you for calling"

She would have to tell Inoichi when he got home. If Shibi was right Sakura might already be lost to ROOT.

:

Ino and Sakura came home and Tsubaki watched the two girls carefully. Ino was pretty normal. She had to have her mouth washed out with soap as the girl had sworn like a sailor when she had spilled a glass of water across her lap. Ino was currently holding a bar of soap in her mouth with her arms crossed angrily while Sakura looked sheepish as she was not able to eat all the food given to her.

Inoichi finally came home to the scene and chuckled in amusement as his daughter spat out the bar of soap and ran up to him giving him a hug with her whole body.

"Daddy! Your wife is an awful child abuser! She made me hold a bar of soap in my mouth for a whole minute!" Ino looked up at him with a single big blue watering eye while the other was covered by her hair.

"She was cursing like Uncle Fuin all over spilling water across her lap." Tsubkai explained.

"Ino. You know the punishment for foul language young lady." Inoichi said.

Ino held up her hands in submission. "And I've already received it! Eep! Sakura! Save me!"

Sakura dutifully stood in front of Ino and opened her arms wide like she was shielding her. "Uh…what now?"

Ino thought about it. "Do a speech like a hero! Make it convincing."

"Umm…none shall pass! Forsooth I shall defend the fair maiden! Though I be but small…and also a but a maiden…and also not as skilled as the one I'm protecting…I shall vanquish thee…?"

Ino's parents glanced at each other before beginning to laugh.

Ino frowned. "You kinda suck at this…"

"I thought it sounded convincing…" Sakura pouted. "Okay how about I help with the dishes?"

"That's a little better." Tsubaki smiling face morphing into an expression fit for a Demon King. "Very well brave maiden. I shall spare thee thy life brave hero and the maiden shall become instead my servant! As punishment for her crimes she shall wash all the dishes!"

"The Dishes…there are over Nine-Thousand!" Ino yelped.

Inoichi watched chuckling as his wife the Demon King of the Seventh Heaven did negotiate with the Brave Hero Sakura and the Fair Maiden Ino.

Eventually the deal was stuck, and everyone was helping wash tonight's dishes. Ino washed mumbling things under her breath about a fair maiden didn't deserve this kind of treatment, Sakura rinsed dutifully helping and trying to cheer up her friend and his wife dried the dishes and put them away as he had his portion of the dinner and would later help with pots and pans.

It was a lovely evening, and everything was perfect until Sakura cut her hand rising one of the knives. Ino had carelessly tossed in a handful of silverware she had just washed for Sakura to rinse.

Sakura had immediately yelped and clutched the offending hand.

"Oh shit! Sakura are you all- "Ino started before stopping and staring dumbly at Sakura's hand. All of them were. Sakura was confused and looked at her cut only to find her hand to be covered in an oily, black, inky substance coming out of the cut. Sakura not knowing what to do grabbed the drying cloth and put pressure on it.

"Here. Let me see it." Inoichi said. Sakura let him see the cut only to find the cut was already nearly closed. Inoichi's eyes widened in shock. "Does it hurt now?"

Sakura shook her head.

"We'll take you back to the hospital. Hopefully we can get some answers."

Sakura awkwardly let with Inoichi. And with that a wonderful evening was ruined.

:

Dr. Yakushi had worked tirelessly for over a week to make sure the reports were correct. Sakura had come to him saying her blood was a strange color and had run all the tests he could think of and now the results were back. He had checked, and double checked them because whatever he found he was obligated by law to inform the Hokage of this new development.

Dr. Yakushi stood in front of the door with his clipboard and cup of coffee. Might as well get it over with. Just like with Anko's 'trail' the Hokage sat in the center flanked by his two advisors. Dr. Yakushi took a sip of his coffee.

"Sup." He said. "Thank you for having me."

"Dr. Yakushi. Welcome. This council will hear your report. You mentioned that there was a new development in Sakura's condition. How is she?" The Hokage asked.

"Alright exposition time. Long story short Patient 476's now unique genetic structure has stabilized, and the patient has regenerative capabilities." Dr. Yakushi said taking another sip as he held up the clipboard in one hand skillfully flipping to the next page with a simple flick of the wrist. The council held back their questions until the end of presentations. Dr. Yakushi hated being interupted.

"Longer story is that the specific genes I left behind during their treatment were those that would, logically help them recover quicker. The ability to heal themselves was never out of the realm of possibility. Now the rate at which she is able to heal is off the charts. The original serum was originally developed as a way to overcome a specific genetic illness caused by an over taxed biological clock.

"Cells can only spilt and replicate a certain number of times or they become tired and mistakes are created. Our lives tick away one cell at a time until they reach that limit. Orochimaru was able to use a combination of Hashirama's cells, the test subject's and his own to all but remove this effect. It would have worked perfectly if it wasn't that the cells themselves were incompatible with each other and the test subjects. Those injected with the serum would ultimately die of an over taxed biological clock causing the free forming of sickle cells, cancer, and a whole host of other problems. As Anko found organ failure and blood-loss.

The problem was mitigated somewhat by the kidnapper. He had a bloodline that allowed his cells to accept any biological transplant. This was key in the binding process of the serum to Patient 476's cells. However, the illness of an over taxed biological clock was already present. I ended up using specific retroviruses to target parts of the Patient's genetic code and splice them with the Patient's remaining untaxed stem cells. This caused mutations in the Patient and the formation of what I will hence forth call Black Blood Cells or BBCs for short. BBCs have retained the healing factor of the First Hokage but in a very different fashion. With the integration of Orochimaru's specific genetic coding from our samples the 'Power of the White Snake' ability is also present and has mixed with the First's regeneration.

"As I said the rate of healing is off the charts. Given sufficient time Patient 476 can heal from almost any wound or illness as well as immunity to most poisons. The exception seems to be amputation or decapitation however I believe if the patient's head is re-attached within five minutes they would sustain little to no side effects. Similar circumstances with her other body parts. As long as you can re-attach it, it should be fine.

"There is a catch however. Because of the retroviruses I used to cut off the damaged parts of the cells they are now self-contained, and the BBCs are non-transferrable. Even if the Patient was to become pregnant at a later point in life and the BBCs were swimming through their child it would be able to play nicely with the child's body but not become integrated. This is because the BBC's are produced in the marrow of the patient's bones. That fourth strand was of an unknown origin, but I project we can see new developments if that stand of DNA ever resurfaces. So, no transplants. You could possibly harvest the patient's bone marrow and tear the codes in two to reattach it to a similarly ripped code, but I don't know if the BBCs would survive the extraction and even if they did they would not have the same effect they do in the patient. Also, there is a ninety percent chance that the person would have to be a child and I do not believe they would survive the process. We nearly lost the patient multiple times…it is a miracle they survived.

"So…any questions?"

The Hokage was actually slack jawed. "Dr. Yakushi this seems a little too much to believe. An immortal ninja…"

"Trust me, Patient 476 is far from immortal. I checked, and double checked the results. Decapitation for longer than five minutes, drowning for longer than thirty minutes, instant disintegration, specific poisons, large object from above with sufficient mass, around one hundred explosive tags, the list could go on. Basically, look at her as a mass of cells that all need to be killed at once. She still needs basic things such as oxygen, food, water, it is just she can last for a long time without those. She would just be extremely hard to kill without just blowing her head off. Definitely not immortal but hard to kill. Also, while skilled a more skilled opponent would be able to out maneuver them easily thus mitigating their threat level once more. I would put their threat level at about Genin level attack wise and I believe it would take an upper Chunin to Jonin level threat to actually kill them without resorting to decapitating them."

"But if she were to become a Jonin level threat…" Homura put it together. "Can we make more?"

"No." Dr. Yakushi said. "I am out of genetic material to create the retroviruses namely Hashirama's cells and this strange fourth strand. I have managed to put the kidnappers body in stasis, but we only have the one also Orochimaru is not going to just sit down and let me stick a needle in him."

"Not that we would ask you to." The Hokage said glaring at the advisor. "While I am happy Sakura is in our ranks we will not do anything that comes even remotely to what happened in that lab."

"Would you be able to study the kidnapper's body to see if we can use his ability to save those who need heart or lung transplants?" Koharu asked.

Dr. Yakushi nodded. "I have already made several discoveries with the man's body. Given enough time I believe we can drop the rate of unsuccessful transplants another twenty percent."

"Make it so." The Hokage nodded. "As usual your work is amazing."

"I do my best sir." Dr. Yakushi said. He handed the clipboard to his leader.

"I never expect anything less." The Hokage said taking the clipboard. "Dismissed."

"A near-immortal ninja able to survive decapitation…" Koharu whispered after Dr. Yakushi left. "After the fall of the Uchiha and Kurama clans I had thought we had lost the fight and would hang in there until the Uchiha were rebuilt. Now… now I can work with a peaceful mind knowing the village will be safe…"

"There is a discrepancy however. If anyone finds out about this ability…They would do the most horrific things to this girl just at the chance of living a little longer…" Homora shuddered. "This needs to be an S-class secret and she needs to be guarded…and trained eventually."

The Hokage simply puffed on his pipe. "I have already made arrangements for Sakura when she gets out of the hospital which should be soon seeing as her abilities more or less make it less necessary that she be there."

"Are you sure about that arrangement? Personally, I think it would be more trouble than it's worth." Koharu asked.

"I will be killing two birds with one stone this way, besides the new living arrangements would help both of them." The Hokage argued.

"As always old friend, we may not agree but we accept your judgement."

:

Ever since that night Sakura and Ino's relationship was strained. Sakura thought they were sisters but for some reason the girl had stopped coming over as often and when she did she always came with her mother or father. Never alone with her. Sakura felt like she had somehow lost Inoichi and Tsubaki's trust but didn't understand why. Her blood was black, and she could heal fast, as the Dr. Yakushi 'short version for children' went. So, what? Ino didn't seem to know what was going on either but was a little miffed that Sakura was under oath not to tell anyone about the new abilities other than what they could obviously observe. Tomorrow would be the day that in one week she would finally be out of the hospital. She still didn't know where she was going to live.

There was a knock on her door. For the last few weeks she had been catching up on her ninja training. She wasn't allowed to practice physically but she could study. Sakura's entire hospital bed was covered with open books. At the knock she was startled. Dr. Yakushi or Ino never knocked but just called a warning before barging in and the other doctors and medics avoided her room, so it had to be someone else.

"C-come in…" Sakura said hesitantly.

The Hospital room was an expanse of white with a few chairs for visitors, the windows were open and the curtains billowing in the soft breeze. Sakura could remember it as if it was yesterday, the day she met her.

"Hello, I'm um…well…I'm your new roommate." The woman said sheepishly as the door closed behind her. "Anko Mitirashi. Nice ta meetcha."

:

*In the manga and anime, you see telephone poles and power lines all over the place. I figure there aren't a whole lot in service and are constantly under maintenance as ninja crash into them and run into them all the time. These also could however just be power lines and I am a moron…

:

A/N: I am insane…I am genuinely insane… I freaking gave Sakura an over powered bloodline…kinda… I pretty much laid out what the power does but there is going to be more later on. To get this power I borrowed concepts from two anime powers: Soul Eater's Black Blood and Tokyo Ghoul's Red Child Cells. To those who have seen either or both anime or understand a bit of what those mean I will say for right now she just has access to what I described in the story thus far with hopefully a unique spin on both later on in the story

She is very durable but that doesn't mean there aren't consequences to this as well. With great power comes great responsibility and great danger from evil super villains. I will be exploring all the creative writing outlets with this new bloodline I've totally not stolen….

Sorry the power was so Edgy McEdgelord… It wasn't intended that way. Originally, I was going to give her the ability to absorb chakra, but I found this amazing story by an author called 88mph 'Pink Parasite'. It was both amazing and terrifying. Amazing that someone had come up with the exact same concept as me and terrifying because I felt like if I used anything from the story I would be 'story-stealing'. Thankfully I figured out something using my two-favorite anime as a guide…It's not really that different huh…sigh… well I'm keeping it… for better or for worse.

Let me know what you think of it…

I was a little iffy on this chapter and have spent my entire weekend trying to write it. I was trying to focus on world building, fleshing out characters and finally revealing her powers. I found this was a rather lack luster event, but I needed to be concise on what exactly she could do and when I wrote it for my own notes it was actually a pretty good explanation.

Shino's mom is never shown in cannon because like Sakura's parents there was never a need. I totally made her a country hick in love with her garden and husband as a contrast to the stoic Shibi Aburame.

The plot thickens!

:

I'd like to answer a few questions that some had about the last chapter, but I would first like to give my honest thanks to my reviewers. I honestly would not have caught some of that with out you guys.

To Suzulu4Moe: Kakashi retired around this time in cannon if we are to believe filler backstory arcs. He had at least two teams he failed before getting team seven. He is most likely getting used to life out of ANBU for the first time in fifteen years.

To Wayne 54321: You are totally right. I do have difficulty writing child characters. It is really hard to get into their heads as each child is different and while I could use examples from cannon to write them they are still rather hard to write convincingly. I will say however I was trying to cover this with how Sakura and Ino in particular are actually a little smarter than their peers but still with very child-like emotions. Ino sees her aptitude as another reason she is awesome, and it builds her confidence, but she also tends to look down on people her age smarter than her like Shikamaru because she is so used to be the smartest one in the room amongst her peers. Sakura alternatively feels her intelligence is a burden and finds it hard to relate to people and is constantly hesitant about using her knowledge into practice. This doesn't excuse my writing, so I will work on it from now on. Thank you for your honest review.

To anyone! Do you know how to edit previous chapters? I would like to fix the spelling or grammar but have no idea how to do that…Still kinda the first story I've ever written ya know.

As always thank you everyone and I hope you have a good week!

Ghostwriter789


	10. Lying Game

Chapter 10: Lying game

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A/N: Hello everyone! Please Read and Review!

I had rewritten this chapter four times. Thank you for reading this and helping me realize that I can actually write.

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"Wha-?" was Sakura's response.

The woman before her was about 5'4" and was wearing a loose, white, long sleeved blouse with the first couple buttons unbuttoned exposing some rather impressive cleavage and a dark mini skirt meant to show off her legs and smart black heeled shoes. Her hair was worn up in a loose pony-tail with a slight shagginess to it and what looked like rather carefully applied make-up. She looked really pretty and really nice.

"Your roommate. You do want a place to live, don't you?" Anko asked was a slight pout. "I was brought up to date with your genetic enhancements by Dr. Yakushi to be your care giver."

Sakura sat back frowning and nodded her head but never took her eyes off Anko. Something was off.

"Very well. Thank you for coming to care for me." Sakura said politely. "May I ask your profession?"

Anko snorted but immediately covered her face. "Um…sorry about that… I am a member of the Tracking Department of Konoha."

"My…My mother told me the Tracking Department were more of a… rough group." Sakura said tilting her head. Sakura caught herself however blushing furiously. "Not to say you are rough! You are very beautiful miss."

This seemed to make Anko smile. "And you are adorable. So, tell me, is your blood really black? I mean you blushed grey…"

Sakura froze ice clutching her chest. Ms. Anko just said that she had just said that Dr. Yakushi had just updated her on her condition… if he really did that 'Anko' would already know that! Her hand tightened on her pencil. Enemy.

Anko seemed to catch this however and took a relaxed stance. The woman's face had gone from smiling to carefully blank in an instant. "Yeah... I can see how you could think I'm an enemy, but thankfully Dr. Yakushi has already informed me about your PTSD and paranoia. You attacked a couple doctors already. Do you really want to attack your caregiver on your first meeting?"

Sakura felt like she had been slapped. She nearly attacked this woman for absolutely no reason than she…Sakura shuddered as she felt a wave of sadness but quickly put that under wraps. Setting her face carefully blank as well she tried her best to smile. "Sorry…still…jumpy…"

Anko relaxed but noticed Sakura had not dropped the pencil. Slowly she sank into a visitor's chair. "Look…sweetie…I was made your caregiver because I have been where you are and came out on top. Despite having a healing factor, you are far from done healing. To be able to be a ninja you need to learn to be able to trust people, as counter intuitive as that may sound. As you are right now you only trust Ms. Yamanaka, possibly Dr. Yakushi and maybe the Hokage. You will be put on a team later, if you still decide to have a ninja career, whom you will need to trust with your life and they need to be able to trust you. I am going to help you with that as a contact person and councilor. If you have a panic attack like you did your first day or you have a hyper depressive moment you come to me alright? Your contact person previously technically was Ms. Yamanaka. This was fine when you were living here at the hospital but since you are going to be slowly reintegrated into society you will need to let go of Ms. Yamanaka's hand and learn to become your own person."

Sakura sat stock still and staring at the hospital covers. "Does this mean I can't be friends with Ino?"

"Yes! I mean no! Look you can be friends okay? You can even be besties!" Anko quickly explained with hands raised. Seeing Sakura didn't react Anko coughed. "Sorry, I had been told that, that might be one of your triggers…as I said before…yes, you are still able to be friends with Ms. Yamanaka. You will just be taught not to say…hang on her when going into town, or not need her as a snuggle partner so you can get to sleep at night."

Sakura flushed. They knew about that? Sakura had once had a series of nightmares that kept her awake for a full three days. Ino had come in and let Sakura use her as a teddy bear and had spent her whole visit letting Sakura finally sleep. When she had woken up Ino was gone but she had been told the next day that Sakura had been extremely cuddly and Ino had needed to be pried lose from the splotchy girl's grasp.

"Um…to answer your question...from before…yes…my blood is black…" Sakura waited for a reaction like Mr. Inoichi's or Ms. Tsubaki's. They seemed scared of her. Anko however smiled.

"Thank you for telling me." Anko said. "I personally think it is pretty cool it turned that color."

Sakura shifted. "You don't think I'm a freak?"

"Yes, I do, but let me explain." Anko said seeing Sakura's panicked look. Thinking about it for a moment she finally looked down. "Well, you are going to find out one way or another so why the hell not? I…I was on the tracking team that retrieved you. Some of my good friends died trying to get you back. I personally was the one to find you and helped save your life. I was also the one who…" Anko put on a brave face. "I was the one who used what was in the lab to try and save your life. What happened to you was my fault… Now I am trying to make up for it by being there for you if you need me and help you come back one-hundred percent. There are other reasons but not ones I feel I need to share at this moment. So yes…I think you're a freak, but not in a bad way…it's more because I know what happened was my fault in the end. If you're a freak, it is my responsibility."

Anko paused to see the kid's reaction but was met with silence.

Sakura was trying to hold herself together.

 _She was a freak now. It was all this woman's fault._

 _But she was going to take care of her to make it better._

 _But it was still her fault._

 _But didn't she say it happened to her too?_

 _But it is still her fault._

 _She is not like the kidnapper._

 _She is EXACTLY like the kidnapper, SHE made her into a freak!_

 _She saved her LIFE! She looks like she feels really bad about it too…_

 _She is hiding something._

 _She is being super open right now…she didn't have to tell us._

 _She wished this woman had let her die. At least she would have been with her parents again…_

 _But she didn't want to die! She was so scared and wanted to live!_

 _But what was life without those who loved you?_

 _But Ino would still be alive and she would be very sad if we died and she loved her._

 _But now Ino was leaving too._

 _But we can still be friends…_

This continued until Sakura finally found the words. "I…don't think I… hate you…I…want to though."

Anko took a deep breath and released all her tension before flashing a bright smile. "I'll take it! You are also free to hate me if you wish. Right now, I am not going to push it. I am here to help you right now. Okay?"

Sakura took a deep breath like Anko did. "Okay. Thank you…for saving me…"

Anko's eye watered a bit at that. "No problem kiddo. Sorry for the other stuff…"

"Okay." Sakura said quietly. She really didn't want to forgive this woman but remembered Ino's conversation with her. It hurt her not to be able to receive forgiveness or trust again…

This thrust her into a whole new slew of questions and self-doubts. Eventually she came to a decision.

"Ms. Anko… I… forgive you… and I want to…forget." Sakura said slowly trying to find the words. "How… do I do that…exactly?"

Anko carefully wiped her eyes so as not to smudge her make-up. "I…Um…I'm still working on that myself…but I think doing this…really helps…"

"Okay…" Sakura said trying to think of anything to say. "My Dad liked knock-knock jokes…he said they made people feel better…do you want to hear some?"

Anko chuckled. "Sure kid."

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Anko shut the door to her apartment behind her and just breathed. That had been the hardest thing she had ever done…

The girl was a mess, but she would recover. Eventually. Anko slowly began to strip out of the monkey suit she had bought. The Hokage had sat her down and explained Sakura needed a stable environment and a healthy role model. Anko had panicked and more or less copied Ms. Prissy McBitch-bitch's look. Without the heavy eyeshadow making her look like a slut she would be what they guys called 'classy'. Anko had thought it would be easy but she had taken at least an hour on the make up alone. How the hell does Kurenai do this shit every day?!

But it was worth it. She needed to change to help Sakura. Her normal brash attitude and clothing choices would have made the girl more reserved and more inclined to hate her. She didn't need that…she needed healing.

Though Sakura was only nine and most likely didn't fully understand the meaning of her words Anko had a heavy burden lifted off her heart when Sakura forgave her. It felt like she had been wearing a millstone of worry and self-hatred, now…she could begin her own healing…

Anko needed to make sure she was completely packed. Her apartment was barely big enough for one, not one and a small kid. The Hokage had found them a larger not too shabby apartment. It was owned by a nice Xing fella. Rolling up her sleeves she began to clean up her apartment.

She would make sure Sakura was safe, happy, and healthy! Believe it!

…

Oh shit…she was starting to sound like the Jinchuriki brat…

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A few days had past since Anko had introduced herself when the Hokage came to visit.

Sakura had been expecting him and had done her best to look presentable. Still she was wearing her father's shorts with the draw string pulled as tightly as they could and one of her mother's blouses that could honestly could have been used as a dress. Her condition made people avoid her, so she didn't have to deal with it much but now she was feeling self-conscious.

"Good morning Sakura." The Hokage greeted as more people she knew filed in. Dr. Yakushi, Anko, and the Hokage were now all sitting down in one of the visitor chairs or perched in the case of Dr. Yakushi. "Well no need to beat around the bush…Sakura how are you feeling?"

Sakura looked down. "I feel fine…I mean I'm not sick or anything…"

"That is good…" The Hokage said. "Sakura…it has been nearly two months. Are you planning on returning to the academy?"

Sakura felt conflicted. "I…I don't know… I kinda look weird…"

"Then just wear a Transformation jutsu like Patient 477…" Dr. Yakushi interrupted taking the attention off of Sakura for a moment. "It would even help her increase her chakra pool with time."

"With respect Dr. Yakushi, her appearance is going to be with her the rest of her life." Anko said. She was still dressed in 'Classy Mode' or as Ibiki had teased 'Responsible Adult Mode'. "If she tries to hide her looks that can lead to a whole host of mental issues. I'm sorry if it is harsh but the fact of the matter is she is special, and she is going to be bullied. If we can help her overcome these insecurities and give her tools to cope with it, she will have less of a chance of developing a self-esteem problems. Just look at the poor Hyuuga girl! She can't look anyone in the eye because of what happened-."

"Enough." The Hokage commanded and Anko became silent. "Anko is correct that hiding your appearance will only cause problems, but exposing too much will cause problems as well. Sakura this is your choice. To hide your appearance or not, you don't even have to be a ninja. You could probably live a perfectly happy life as a tailor or fulfil some other role in the village. However, if you do decide to become a ninja please know it will be dangerous even with your abilities and you will face hardship as every bloodline user does."

Memories flooded Sakura's mind.

' _So please…please give up on up on this stupid dream and stay with me.'_

' _Sakura! Life isn't fair! Get over it! You were shafted just being my daughter!'_

' _You have to promise me okay? You aren't allowed to die!'_

' _Never measure your worth as a person against someone else and never depend on another's happiness to make yourself happy. That can only lead to heartache. Stand tall on your own two feet and pull the rest of people around you up while you reach for the sky!'_

Sakura took a deep breath and finally opened up on her emotions. There was a fire in her green-turning hazel eyes.

"I will become a shinobi. That is what I want." Sakura said. "It is what I always wanted…Even before everything happened. If you'll have me then I want to go back to the academy whether I look weird or not… and if they pick on me…" Sakura took a deep breath and channeled Ino for a second. "Then screw em! They can't hurt me more than I already have been! Plus, if they beat me up Dr. Yakushi says I heal fast! I'll be able to take it!"

"About that…" Dr. Yakushi said still perched on his chair like some demented raven person. "You are correct in the fact that you do have a significant healing factor…however you do not have a high pain tolerance. This means you will end up in extreme pain, heal, then be in more pain when they decide to hit you again. You also only have a certain threshold before your brain sends the auto shut off signal to your body to protect you from insanity. Let me make this very clear to you Miss 476…" Dr. Yakushi's whole being radiated killing intent to emphasize, making Sakura shiver as he fixed his cold dead unblinking eyes on hers like he was peering into her very being. "You. Are. Not. Immortal. You can and will die one day. You have limits. As a ninja you are expected to push yourself but if I see you pushing yourself past that of a normal human and you end up in my office without acceptable cause you will have hell to pay from me."

There was a deafening silence as the others let Dr. Yakushi's words sink into the young girl.

"I think that means he likes you." Anko said with a smirk. Dr. Yakushi sent her a disapproving glare but said nothing to refute it.

"Thank you for worrying about me." Sakura said after a minute before her brow furrowed. "What is the normal human limit?"

Dr. Yakushi thought for a moment. "If you ever have the… pleasure… of meeting a man named Might Guy, just try not to exceed him… I am not saying don't push yourself just remember you have limits. You can still die of overtraining and lack of nourishment. Just don't overdo it."

Anko blanched at his statement. Might Guy was a known Gates user…if Sakura could train as hard as he could…Anko wondered if she should help her train…

"No need to go that far." The Hokage said with a smirk before becoming serious once more. "Sakura because you have chosen to remain in the open about your abilities you will need to pass the Bloodline Defense class along with your original classes and you will also need to make sure you stick to the story we provide you. You have not been genetically modified. Your parents were rouge ninja from the land of Mist who opposed the brutality that has been shown bloodline users and had spirited you away here to hide from the wrath of the Mizukage. During the abduction your bloodline activated in self-defense, but you became weakened after it's use and needed to be hospitalized. You now live with a person who was one the mission, who took you in because of the kindness of their hearts and hope to one day repay them by using your talents to earn respect in the village and become an integrated member of the village."

Sakura felt cold. "I have to lie again?"

Hiruzen sighed. "All ninja must lie. They must be willing to do whatever it takes to defend their village and complete their mission. I can understand your distaste for it, but it is necessary. If people find out about there being a recent genetic experiment that happened within the village, whether to save a life or not, there would be hell to pay. Now this story will require some precision lying. You must make it seem like you don't want to answer and only give aloof hints at the original story. When they finally ask you and you trust them you must give them the story I have provided you without variation. Without the story behind it many ninja would be liable to look beneath the underneath and make a big stink. Those who would know the truth are going to be Miss Ino as you have already told her everything, Inoichi because he is her father and the head of the Information Department, your caregiver who was on the mission, Dr. Yakushi, the council and myself. When the time comes you will be allowed to tell your Jonin Sensei. They will be able to help you further your abilities and give you someone you can trust with the secret. This must be kept under wraps."

"Does this mean I can tell Ino what I can do?" Sakura asked. "I mean…she's been asking but I always have to tell her that the results are pending still…she knows I've been lying so…"

"You may tell Miss Ino but not the full extent. That information is only known by me, Dr. Yakushi, the council and your caregiver. What you are allowed to say is you believe you have the ability to heal yourself and your blood looks black, but it is actually a trick of the light. You must phrase it that way." The Hokage warned sternly. "I cannot stress this enough. Saying you have a healing factor, regeneration, or even 'self-healing' is giving away too much. You can say you are durable, have the ability to heal yourself which implies you know medical ninjutsu, or you can say that you think your blood clots faster. Do not mention broken bones healing quickly. Do not mention heavy internal injuries. If you break a bone you will be forced to wear a cast for the next three to five weeks as punishment. If you experience heavy internal damage you must either stay down until your teachers get you to Dr. Yakushi or you get up immediately and wait until your organs repair themselves. This will prove you are durable as well as dispel many doubts."

Sakura had been looking down at her hands for a while. "So, I have to lie to Ino…"

"I know it is important to you to be truthful, but this is a matter of security." Anko said but seeing the way Sakura's body language became tighter Anko sighed. "Lord Hokage, would it be possible that either we give Ino clearance or have her learn it at a later date?"

The Hokage thought for a minute. "I would prefer the latter. If Little Ino keeps asking you questions just say it is a village secret and you need clearance before you can give it to her. Her father is the head of T&I, she'll understand."

"Alright…" Sakura said. "So, I need to go back to the academy right now?"

"You still have a few days. They are having next week off to celebrate the Rinne Festival since we are already in February*." Anko said. "We can get you moved in and get everything settled before you start the academy again."

Sakura just nodded. This is what they would want. Her parents would want her to reach her dreams… so for now… she will become a ninja. She would be the best ninja on the force!

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Anko's apartment was immaculate. Everything had it's place and it looked like the walls and ceiling were brand new. Sakura felt like a comic book princess like the ones Ino read about, being rescued from her abusive step parents and is now living in the king's castle. Sakura shook her head. Maybe more like that Little Orphan Anri Ino was always going on about.

Sakura's room was a bit plain but well-lit and felt…homey. Sakura was delighted to see some of her stuffed animals and her bed was her old one all washed and made up even nicer than she was sure even her mother could have made it. Sakura had immediately jumped into the bed and took in the smell of her old home. Detergent and her Daddy's cigarettes.

"Glad you like it." Anko said leaning against the door frame with an easy smile. "Welcome home."

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Anko…was getting used to this… She had thought that dressing up like the Prissy Bitch and being a caregiver might cramp her style, but this was slowly becoming routine for her. Sakura was a little sweet heart, and extremely quite and thoughtful and just plain adorable.

The only downside was how little self confidence she had and how depressed she was. Sakura tended to bottle her feelings in and then explode latter. Evidence of explosions were slowly drifting from tears to anger however. If the Stages of Greif theory was valid the girl was now slowly working up to the anger part, her disbelief having finally been destroyed. She was given hard evidence that her parents were gone when they finally released her from the hospital and they had given her parents a small burial.

They had been given a shinobi burial and there was really nothing left of them. Sakura had erected a small shrine in her room with a picture of them and a vase of flowers. At her 'secret base' there was now a small stone alter like a grave marker. Anko didn't know how to feel about this but the girl had set her sights on training.

This was a good sign. This meant she was channeling the anger into becoming stronger. Her stint in the hospital had nearly undid the work she had done to build muscle, skill, reflexes, anything really. On the other side the girl had become even more distant as she never told her what she was training to do. Finally, Anko decided to follow her.

Anko was currently watching as Sakura seemed to be practicing weaving hand-signs. Hand signs were integral to preforming ninjutsu. Some of a high skill level could use a single hand-sign or even more rare none at all. Anko nearly fell out of her tree when she saw that Sakura began coughing up water. The girl was practicing jutsu!?

Anko watched as when the girl was finally done coughing she focused her chakra again and weaved her signs causing a small stream of water to drizzle against a tree until a small puddle formed and she was left a coughing mess again.

Water style was arguably the hardest to actually damage an opponent with. Fire style you burned stuff, Lightning style you pierced and burned stuff with the nice bonus of short circuiting their nerves, wind style you cut stuff and earth style, arguably the mot versatile, could crush, bury, cut, pierce and even turn the opponent to stone. Water style dealt more with impulse and impact. With water style you could kill without leaving a mark, crushing internal organs, breaking bone, drown, and cause heavy internal bleeding without breaking the skin. Chakra had a strange effect on water. It could make it solid by strengthening the molecular bonds while still not losing the fluidity of the mass. Through this you change the water's density making the water heavier and it can hit with the force to crack concrete or punch like a bullet. Make a freaking tsunami outta that and you are more or less hitting with the force of a massive wall of lead moving at the speed of sound.

Seeing it in action Anko assumed the jutsu was the Water Wave jutsu. This was a low-level water jutsu which could be escalated into the Wild Water Wave jutsu. It was taught to beginners of the style to practice making water from their chakra. From the looks of it Sakura was doing fine creating water but was having a hard time infusing chakra into it to make the impact enough to push someone over.

Sakura was left on the ground coughing again. Anko frowned. This jutsu was beyond her level. She should be building her reserves and training in basic jutsu-

Sakura was suddenly on her feet again and weaving hand-signs already. Sakura was glaring at the puddle of water she had made, and it slowly began evaporating into a thin mist that seemed to swirl around her before it faded, and the water evaporated completely. Anko was staring dumbfounded.

This girl…this girl would be the death of her…

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"You sure you saw her using the Hidden-Mist jutsu?" The Hokage asked. This was not good. He knew that Sakura's parents were rouge, but this was a whole new bundle of worms if they were from Mist. Mist had one of the most aggressive hunter-nin programs in the entire world of Shinobi second only to the Land of Lightning where many died in an instant for even crossing someone like the Fourth Raikage**.

"Yes. The jutsu was underpowered and sloppy but the foundation was there. Her guardian must have taught her before she got taken out…" Anko said. "Sir, this is bad. What if the kidnapper was a under wraps Mist hit? But if so this means- "

"It means the Mizukage is sending us a message. 'We know about Orochimaru and we can enter your village without a trace and not only take your children but kill all your civilians.'" The Hokage said sinking his face into his folded hands in front of him. "I need this cleaned up. Anko keep watching the girl and see if you can't find out more about her family. Inoichi tells me that what she told Ino but short of setting Inoichi on her to do a full mind walk I have nothing on her. I need to know what they were a part of. If these were truly rouge ninja, then they could possibly be a strong-arm attempt to get us to join the resistance as a set up thus getting them support against the Mizukage. If it is the Mizukage who ordered this, we may be on the brink of war."

Anko was silent for a moment. "Do you think-?"

"It wasn't Orochimaru Anko…He is dead, and his crimes have been buried***." The Hokage said voice becoming a whisper. "I killed him myself… he…he's gone… If it was an outside interference, then what do they want? In the world of ninja there is very few men that want to watch the world burn like that…"

The Hokage had seen the monstrosities his student had committed. He paid for his crimes with his death and his secrets destroyed so no other would follow in his footsteps. If the Mizukage knew of what his old student had done and outed him…he could very well be saying goodbye to his seat as Hokage…

"I will figure something out." The Hokage said. "Keep an eye on her. Keep her safe. Try to dissuade her from using water style ninjutsu or find some way to change her style…"

Anko nodded and was dismissed.

The Hokage brooded. This…this was not good… he hated it… he needed the one man he could trust on matters like these…but he nearly put him behind bars a few months ago… he needed Danzo…

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Elsewhere is a dark cave somewhere a young woman was writhing as the injection had started making it's changes. Her blood screamed in her veins, but it would be worth it if they were going to take a monster like Yagura down.

She just hoped it would be enough…

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*The Rinne Festival or the Festival of Rebirth is a made-up holiday (I think) occurring somewhere in the winter months+. I made this the during the week of February 14th because Kishimoto originally wrote the whole story as a love story for Naruto and Hinata and there was even the whole 'red string of fate' narrative. Despite what I think of the movie myself I think that the concept of a holiday that has lost it's meaning and can be used for more world building is a great thing.

+For those of you who have been looking for a bit of a time line for the previous chapters I am going to say that it has been around 1 year and 4-ish months since the first scene in chapter one. I have tried to do this subtly such as bumping up Sakura a year in age but realized I never clarified this. Sorry. Sakura had been training with her mother for about a year before the kidnapping incident happened. This is why she can use some elemental jutsu to a limited effect.

** There are no rouge Kumo ninja in cannon that we know of… at least no living ones… I took this as a way to make some world building. The only ones who even come close to this are the Gold and Silver Brothers, but they are also dead.

*** This one was a bit of a weird one. Nobody knows Orochimaru even though the photograph has been invented, people know of Jiraiya and Tsunade, he most likely invented techniques and was a big deal back in the day yet nobody outside the ninja community knows him. That cannot happen if Orochimaru is still alive. There would be search parties like there is after Sasuke leaves. There would be people who become nervous at the thought of his name. There would be taught as a boogey man figure for naughty children and the like. Either the knowledge of Orochimaru is restricted or there is no knowledge about the man. I saw this and thought why not both? He is still alive though, just deep undercover. I think it would be better for the story if the Legendary Sanin have been out of the public eye for a long time.

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A/N: Thank you all for reading and I will do my best to answer questions.

-No Mrs. Aburame did not ruin their friendship. Things going on just happened.


	11. Heroes and Memories

Chapter 11: Heroes and Memories

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A/N: So sorry about the wait but life happens… This chapter is pretty heavy in author's notes, so fair warning and I don't mind if you skip parts. It is more or less there to give people a technical explanation while I try to keep all the technical stuff out of the story. Sorta… Rant starting…Now!

Confession time!

I made a mistake in the timeline, in my own author's note no less, so please forgive me as I attempt to fix it. My earlier comment saying Sakura had been training for over a year with her mother was false. From the way I wrote it I can't expect more than a few months to even a few weeks have passed. I will stretch it out as far as possible and say it took a grand total of six to eight months therefore Sakura is still eight but close enough to nine she is able to safely call herself that age.

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Another rather large discrepancy my interpretation on water style jutsu… I was horribly wrong about the way it is used to kill things. From what I have gathered by searching the Naruto wiki page water style is incredibly dangerous and almost as lethal and versatile as lighting style. I have found the style mainly focuses on strengthening the molecular bonds between water molecules to increase the density of the water and 'harden' the water while maintaining its flexibility and firing it off with large amounts of pressure. The easiest example to show what kind of effect this would have on a normal body is to point to the fact most of the jutsu under water style have 'bullet' in their title. This may be a stretch, but I feel it pretty certain that a master water style user would be able to create water that is as heavy as say lead and fire it at approximately the same velocity as a gun. This would mean that the water has the same 'hardness' as lead and it becomes all the more horrifying. Suddenly the move titled simply 'gun-shot' has a lot more meaning. It also makes the water prison and water wall much more imposing and compelling structures to be used on the battle-field.

However, water style is not without weaknesses. Chakra laced water is never going to be as hard or heavy as chakra laced stone and thus Earth style can defend against it pretty darn well. Also, the chakra in the water might make it more conductive to electricity since the water is now incredibly dense and would theoretically be able to pass Lightning style jutsu across it as if it were a conductive metal. I am still new to chakra theory, but I believe the 'hardening' and 'loosening' of water chakra can be due to the Yin and Yang elements. Yin constricts and 'hardens' the electromagnetic bonds between the very atoms of the water where the Yang chakra weakens them by expanding and 'weakens' it but since it is the force of motion it 'shoots' the water faster and gives it movement.

Thank you for reading my mini rant. I will attempt to make this really good…

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Sakura slammed her throwing knives into the trees despite her terrible aim as of late. It wasn't because she couldn't see well. Sakura was just starting to feel a blinding headache. Sakura eventually needed to cover her eyes and rest. Sakura was getting pretty annoyed at her 'super power'. Sakura thought she was going to be able to power through any wound! She thought she was going to be able to heal from practically anything! There was something she didn't take into account.

She could still feel pain.

Also, it took time to heal each wound.

A large gash or a deep cut would be healed in about a minute. This would be phenomenal healing but that meant she could still be taken down. A blow to the head…that could still kill her…maybe… Sakura slammed her fist into the tree she was leaning up against. If she was going to have a bloodline or body modification or whatever at the cost of her parents being gone she demanded she get something better. Worse her chakra was slowly fading. This had scared Sakura immensely. She had even gone through the jutsu her mother said never to use without her presence, just so she could prove she could still do them. This had depleted her chakra even further and now she was worried about her chances of becoming a ninja. She was hungry, tired and had a splitting headache. Normally she would just go home but she didn't have a home, or even a mother to look after her. Sakura winced feeling bad about that. Anko tried so hard to be like a replacement mother for her…but she just wasn't her mom, and she never would be, and she should never have tried to replace her. She had made her breakfast the first day at the apartment, when she had nightmares she offered to stay up and talk to her about it, Sakura could see she didn't want to make her uncomfortable or overstep her personal boundaries, but Anko still rubbed her the wrong way. She just didn't know what to think of the woman.

Sakura…she hated Anko. She hated that Anko was the one to administer the thing that was changing her into a pale-splotchy monstrosity. She hated that Anko seemed to be trying to replace her parents. She hated the fact that she could tell Anko still thought her a freak. She hated that she was so Spirts damned nice all the time despite it all! It made her so hard to hate that Sakura latched on to the nearest blames she could think of. Honestly?! How hard was it to show a little weakness! Was Anko _capable_ of being mean or insensitive about something? Sakura wanted to hate Anko's guts…but she couldn't because Sakura couldn't find anything wrong with her!

Some small part of Sakura understood that Anko was exactly like herself when she had lied to Ino. Now Ino wouldn't talk to her. She hadn't even visited the hospital in three weeks. Sakura had left a note with Dr. Yakushi to tell Ino her new address if she came by the hospital when she was gone but Sakura didn't see the point anymore. Sakura had messed up. She had lied, gotten her parent's killed and ruined the life of her best and only friend in a single swoop. It was all her fault.

No. Sakura didn't hate Anko because she had saved the girl. She hated Anko because even her greatest screw ups were better then her. Anko had done all that damage saving her life and being upfront and honest. Sakura ruined lives and was a lying snitch. Anko, as her mother would put it, was a damn goody two shoes bitch!

Sakura picked herself up and thought of an exercise she could do without the use of her eyes. The throbbing between them told her it wasn't a tension headache. If she could just rest them. That would be enough. Sakura sat down cross legged and immediately bruised her behind on a tree root. Cursing like a sailor she tried to get situated to meditate and just tried to center herself.

As Sakura focused she homed in on the memory of her mother telling her how to do this.

' _Mommy!' Sakura whined, 'Why don't we do something cool instead of just sitting around.'_

' _Ninja don't whine.' Her mother admonished. 'We do whatever we need to, to defend the village and achieve the mission objective. Meditation helps your focus.'_

' _By not focusing on anything? Wouldn't training be better for that?'_

 _Sakura got a smack to the head for that one. She should have known better…_

' _No idiot! I told you! We are doing this to help maintain your chakra levels.' Her mother said sipping her 'soda' before going into 'lecture mode'. 'Meditation is all about_ focus _! The idea is that you are to clear your mind of everything except for one thing. Not just focus on nothing. Nobody can really think of nothing. Even your subconscious can accept this as it still "thinks" about running your heart and lungs and other involuntary functions. But you can focus on something and regain your focus on the world. This is extremely difficult, especially for a ninja who can get pretty paranoid. It is all about stretching the limits of your mind. This in turn increases your chakra through enhancing your focus and will. Why do you think we say chakra is made by combining Yin and Yang? Yin is the mind one!' her mother barked when Sakura had raised a hand during her rant. 'You try to do that jutsu I showed you without your will, imagination, emotion and spirit totally on board you will never pull it off. You need to be totally focused. Athletes would call it being 'In the Zone'. This is the state you need to be in to use Ninjutsu effectively. Without it your attacks will be sloppy, uncoordinated, and if you are using Ninjutsu, underpowered. Why do you think Genjutsu is a thing? It can weaken someone's Ninjutsu to the point where, though they're a Jonin they are completely unable to use Ninjutsu because you put their spirit out of balance, their Yin.'_

 _Her mother took another drink._

' _Meditation also serves to keep the mind healthy. Ninja…they see a lot of_ shit _okay? They see friend and foe alike killed in horrible ways. Many ninja, because they put literally everything they ARE into fighting an opponent, cannot help but develop complexes in being defeated. Think about it. Your body, mind and spirit was thrown at the opponent, but he stops you. You use all your weapons and your strategies, but he stops you. You throw your heart, emotions your very BEING into killing this foe, but he stops you… and then humiliates you by not killing you, death is a sweet release compared to that level of having destroyed you so utterly. Many ninja either go the route of depression "I wasn't able to defeat so-and-so. I must be a crap ninja. Why do I even try? He is just so much stronger than I am." Or they go into mania, "How_ dare _they make me feel weak! I will do everything in my power to never feel like that again. I'll become_ stronger _. I will become_ better _than him! I_ will **kill** _so-and-so!_ Muwahahahaha _!" You see? You would be basing your own strength, self-worth, as a person and as a ninja, against one encounter and you would let so-and-so have power over you. Suicide is the end of the first path and insanity is the end of the second. Both would be made prone to self-destructive behaviors and both are idiots._

' _The first sees his opponent as an obstacle he can never overcome and thus even his physical training suffers when he is thinking he can never measure up. The second sees his opponent as an obstacle and will try to remove him by any means necessary and over trains. Both fail, even if they do by some miracle defeat their opponent, because when you are training you are trying to defeat this imaginary opponent who may be stronger than the skills he showed when he beat you. This kind of psychology is the entire reason the concept of a 'finishing move' has been invented. It is usually made by the second as he thinks he will_ finally _be able to kill his foe or by the depressed first thinking he will_ finally _be able to prove his worth as a ninja. He comes up with an insane jutsu that can…I don't know…slice the tops of mountains off just by the air pressure coming off his sword or be able to catch one of the Nine-tail's attacks. He forgot his opponent is_ only so much meat with a pulse _! You just need to get through the guy's armor if he is wearing any and go for the head. Not many ninja can operate without their frontal lobe so jab the knife in there if you can but otherwise go for the brainstem._

' _Anyways meditation! Meditation helps! It makes you re-focus not on obsessing over this guy but on serving your village. If he is an enemy than he is not mutually exclusive. You will have other enemies. You will have a partner- er teammates too. They will be able to back you up against an enemy, so no need to try to come up with some crazy new ninjutsu when_ a knife or a sword will work _.' Her mother finished lamely having lost her point somewhere in the rant._

' _Will you teach me how to use a sword then?' Sakura asked._

' _After you finish the Water Wave and Hiding in Mist jutsu.' Her mom said smiling at her. 'I have a feeling you will be able to take on most swordsmen when you grow older-'_

 _Sakura looked down. 'How do you…you know feel better when you get sad? Like the first guy I mean…'_

 _Her mother thought a moment. 'I don't think you are a gets sad type though. I actually think you would be more of a manic. You seem to have the single-minded determination of one.'_

 _Sakura pouted at her mother's dig and waited for he to continue._

' _Manic's are a forced to be reckoned with when they are on the ball, but many suffer from a weird combination of inferiority and superiority complexes. You cannot accept that you are weaker then you make yourself out to be but cannot help but feel threatened when someone IS stronger than you. The answer to the manic's problem is to let it go. Take all your feelings about the guy who beat you and throw it out. You may meet him again and when you do you might find him an ally or even a friend. If he is still your enemy do not give him the pleasure of beating you once again, and don't let him win a second time by being psyched out. To do this you need to be in the right state of mind in the first place. Hence meditation.' Her mother said. 'To meditate you need to have a focus. This can be anything, a thought, a feeling… When you have your focus slowly let go of everything other than your focus. Harsh feelings; let them go. Worries, let them go. Anger; let it pass. When you do this, you are not allowing what happened hurt you despite the fact that it did happen. It isn't forgiveness, but something else. Accepting the world as it is a working with what you have. You live in a world of liars and thieves. Doesn't mean you are a thief. Doesn't mean you are a victim, because you don't allow yourself to be. Make sense?'_

 _Sakura just stared owlishly at her mother._

' _You didn't listen to a word I just said, did you?'_

' _But how do you do that!?' Sakura whined._

' _Meditation! Letting everything go! Not being a whiny ninja bitch! What do I keep telling you! Life isn't fair! Get over it! Shit is going to happen! It happens to everyone! You are not the only one the universe shits on! You are not special in that regard! It happens more to some and less to others but that doesn't mean you don't look up at the sky when it is not raining shit on the world and say it is a horrible day! Now get cross legged and meditating before I smack you cross-eyed!' Her mother said, and Sakura obeyed quickly. 'Now focus on your secret base. Now imagine a candle or a pool of water. Focus on it. Any feelings you feel or things you see acknowledge them and move on.'_

 _As Sakura obeyed her mother muttered something like, 'I need another drink…'_

Sakura took a deep breath and let it go. This repeated she didn't know how many times. She did her best to let everything go and just focus on a single feeling. One that did not really denote right or wrong. One that grounded her and made her focused at the matter at hand.

Sakura felt hungry.

:

Danzo standing before him was one thing. Danzo standing before him so nonchalantly, working under the guise of a seemingly harmless old man was rather…repulsive. With a stamp of his cane the blinds shut, and seals activated in the room, effectively making the whole office into a bug free zone. Anyone not authorized to be here would mentally halted and experience a brief lapse in concentration. Their minds put to sleep and in stasis while the seals were activated.

"Cut the shit Danzo." Hiruzen growled. "We both know you aren't fooling anyone."

Danzo merely smirked however. "'The most important tool for a ninja is that your foes underestimate you, that you catch them off guard and like a phantom end them.' Have you forgot everything Master Tobirama taught you?"

"I need you assistance on a matter." Hiruzen said ignoring his old friend's jab.

Danzo immediately became solemn and bowed his head. "How may I assist Konoha?"

Hiruzen motioned for him to sit down and laid out the field report for what was quickly becoming the Bad Blood incident. As Danzo read his scowl deepened before looking up sharply at Hiruzen.

"What the literal hell Hiruzen?" Danzo said. "Why weren't the guard around the village able to detect this intruder?"

"Well…someone thought it would be a good idea to kill off all of our military police and half the ANBU." Hiruzen said not taking any of Danzo's crap. "Recent reports from the girl's caretaker suggests that her parents were Mist shinobi. This could have been a hit."

Danzo looked at him with widened eyes having come to the same conclusion he had. "Hiruzen… As a former member of your cabinet and friend I must insist that we not get involved with this…We cannot risk a provocation from Yagura. He is too dangerous and our Jinchuriki is untrained… Please Hiruzen, I know you disapprove of my methods but let me protect Konoha just once more…"

"You are not taking my surrogate grandson. That is not negotiable. You will not steal away anymore clan children. You will help me solve this and there is going to be no ulterior motive." Hiruzen said with a harsh voice. "Stray from the lines I set, and I will be forced to remind you why I am called 'The God of Shinobi'. Are we clear?"

Danzo was silent but shaking with anger. "I know we crossed lines but what I did was the best for-"

"I said…are we clear?" Hiruzen said ready to end him then and there if he didn't agree. Killing intent radiating off him in harsh waves.

Danzo's scowl deepened but ultimately gave in to the will of his Kage. "Fine. We are clear. What do you want?"

"Defense operations in case everything goes to hell in a hand basket, what do we have?" Hiruzen fired off.

Danzo glared at the floor. "The one who calls himself Tenzo should be able to suppress Yagura. Until the Jinchuriki matures he is our best line of defense short of risking Kakashi using his eye or letting Guy open the gates. My suggestion: Recall Tenzo to the village. He can double as a guard for the Jinchuriki and even give the boy a place to stay since he is your oh so important grandson. Keep Yagura busy with the civil war by giving support to the rebels without Yagura knowing or letting the rebels win the war. I recommend allowing access to the Land of Waves, Sea, and Fish to a man named Gato. He is a trader and runs a massive shipping operation. We increase revenue through him by using basic tariffs and keep him under our thumbs by offering him access to these lands, so he doesn't have to go through the ports of Mist as often and the black market in those areas will flourish enough to allow the rebels support. There is talk of a massive bridge set to be built in the next few years that will in the long run increase the amount of goods flowing through the town of the Land of Waves stabilizing the economy there and allow access to goods coming from the Continent.

"The few of my operatives who have decided to stay with me can be used to help cover the borders and I can give you access to the labs I know of." Danzo looked up with a glare. "These will not be made known to the public. All hell would break loose if their existence was known. Not even Orochimaru's pet may know of these."

"Have the labs been used recently?" Hiruzen said choosing to ignore the disrespect towards Anko. If Danzo had his way she would be executed.

Danzo weighed his options. "Yes…some of my men have decided that they will do anything in their power to survive. Mainly body modifications have been performed though and not anything super serious. Soft Physic modification, a former Aburame attempting to splice his insects with more dangerous ones, and one surviving case of a genetic deformity which allows one to absorb chakra. In the case of the later he only used it to stabilize himself as the absorption of chakra is quite the…unholy ability. I don't allow it in my ranks for the obvious reasons but allow this child to use the lab in exchange for information."

"What would you do in the case of a Sakura Haruno?"

"Train her. Make sure her mentality is suitable for the missions she will be required to do. She seems passive and once housebroken will be able to follow orders." Danzo said. "I knew she had a healing ability from my informants at the Hospital but this… This is extraordinary. If you like I can give the one who calls himself Ryuzaki a copy of the medical files that the labs under my control contain in exchange for her training to fall to me."

Hiruzen hesitated. This was the Danzo he had come to expect. Talking to Danzo was like talking to your own shadow. He was everything that was wrong with the world and more, but he was also trying to protect Konoha in his own way.

"No. No brainwashing. I will not allow it to happen to more children." Hiruzen said firmly but in reality, he was very tempted just to give her to him. It would solve so much paper work and would keep him village safe.

"Isn't it practically what we do to children anyway?" Danzo said icily. "We train children at the academy to kill starting at age six. How is this any different? Do we not give them that dogma 'The Will of Fire' to follow and work for and breathe out as their final breath when we both know that the village is not great not truly, that is full of weak fools, and would have been destroyed hundreds of times if it wasn't for the things you forced me to do?"

"You chose to do those things of your own free will." Hiruzen said quietly. "Someone not programmed but will do what they have to, to save this village of their own accord... Sakura is a sweet and broken child…one that has already been the subject of an attack on the village. Please…allow me to keep this small bud in the light a bit longer."

Danzo looked at his friend solemnly. "Will you save all of them? Some of them will turn to darkness even in times of peace. If you were going to save them you'd raise the age of graduation to sixteen like I recommended but no. Your keeping them together form a young age, doing missions together at age twelve to inspire bonds between, them has done more to brainwash and kill children than I have."

"Danzo what do you want in exchange?" Hiruzen said. Danzo had a price for his services like any other shinobi. Even as Hokage he got a small stipend. Danzo however only worked for favors. This was not going to be pretty.

"Three things. First, I would like you to allow me to restock my soldiers. The Land of Artisans had a recent rebellion and many children are orphaned and would starve without a place to go. Would that be sufficient?" Danzo asked. Hiruzen grimaced before nodding guilt already rising. He just sold the souls of those children to this demon... "Second I would like spies to be stationed around the Land of Rain. There has been a deep quiet. Even more quiet than usual and I believe they have entered into a trade deal with the Land of Snow for their iron and technology trade. Third I would like to be in the loop with Itachi. I know he is your spy and I know he hates me, but he has information I need. Finally, if you really care for this girl make it so only the Head Medic, the council, yourself, and her caretaker know of her condition. Inoichi can repress the young Yamanaka's memories and he himself can make himself forget any specifics…"

Hiruzen shook his head. "Subliminal psych tests Ryuzaki performed in her month-long stay suggests that Sakura isn't so much loyal to the village but to Ms. Yamanaka. You take the girl away from her you will end up turning her against us."

"I meant make her forget about Sakura's modifications." Danzo said with a frown. "It is dangerous for her to know anything too particular."

"Oh. Well yes…of course." Hiruzen said a little embarrassed he jumped the gun. Danzo was a monster but he had an infuriating habit of playing by the rules.

"Do you have any other questions for me about how to do your job?" Danzo said with a bit of a sneer.

"None. Get out and do exactly as we have agreed and like always…this never happened." Hiruzen said.

Danzo got up and turned to leave before stopping and turning to him in a mild-mannered way. "Oh yes. I almost forgot. Sakura's DNA structure has a small mistake in it. One of my spies at the hospital tells me Ryuzaki has not yet identified the fourth strand and asked me to pass on a message. 'Run database scan for similarities amongst the Genin as several have similar structures to the fourth strand.'"

With that Danzo turned and left.

The Hokage shut off the seals and sighed before picking up the phone and giving Ryuzaki his instructions. Spirits he hoped Danzo could be trusted on this…

:

Ryuzaki Yakushi otherwise known as Dr. Yakushi was going over the instructions over and over in his head. His computer whirred as the data scrolled across the screen on a simple black and green screen. It was lucky that the village could afford to have computers like this otherwise it would have taken Dr. Yakushi hours to compare and look for similarities in the fourth strand amongst the populous.

It made sense that if it was Orochimaru's experiment that some of the DNA came from Konoha itself, now it was just a matter of waiting for the answers to come. Suddenly the screen stopped, and four names appeared. As Genin with any sort of genetic deformity were usually oddities and thus had their blood tests in the database to compare incase it was a developing bloodline that needed to be monitored. Anything could happen in bloodlines. Dr. Yakushi had seen one ninja who was nicknamed 'The Human Centipede' and was a conjoined triplet that all could retract and lengthen their torso and sprout arms all over their body in a writhing mass of limbs and death. That had just been his bloodline. Another allowed for the growth of a third eye and multiple functioning arms. There were no end to the oddities chakra could cause on the genetic code.

Dr. Yakushi saw the results and fell out of his chair onto the floor. He didn't remain there however as he began to double check the computer's work.

SHIT…

"Mokuba! Mokuba you idiot get over here! Get someone to collect Sakura Haruno right now and bring her back at the hospital before she becomes a threat to herself and others!" Dr. Yakushi began shouting. "And get me some more coffee!"

He was going to need it.

:

Sakura was walking back home when Anko suddenly appeared right in front of her wearing an old brown trench coat and what looked like... oh spirits… Sakura averted her eyes from her torso as the woman was quite literally topless except for the coat and wearing a skimpy orange skirt.

"Sakura! Hospital! Were going now!" Anko said. Sakura noticed she wasn't wearing make-up either and slowly backed away. Enemy.

"Pervert!" Sakura shouted and started to run.

"Wait, what?!" Anko shouted suddenly appearing right before her again in a swirl of leaves.

"You're a pervert after little girls! Ms. Anko doesn't dress that way!" Sakura shouted as her mind raced to try and come up a plan, but she had a blinding headache despite her time spent meditating. She needed to-

"I don't have time for this! Sakura you're in danger and we need to get the hospital now!" Fake Anko roared before making a hand sign and paralyzed her instantly before throwing Sakura over her shoulder. Sakura yelped weakly but felt like she was covered in chains as she struggled.

Her mind was panicking, and she was hyperventilating as the jutsu restraining her was making her only capable of taking fast shallow breaths.

Sakura passed out.

:

Anko made it quickly to the hospital already regretting every life decision she had ever made up to this point for the ninth time. Anko had been doing laundry when she got a call on her landline telling her Sakura was in danger and needed to be sent to the hospital. Anko panicked and put on the only things she had clean and ran out the door tying up her hair with her headband.

Anko groaned as she remembered the look of shock on Sakura's face seeing her in her 'normal clothes' calling her a pervert. Anko wanted to scream at that moment. NO! She had worked hard to have a good image and all of her work with Sakura to help her recognize her as a certified adult was now totally dashed to pieces!

She didn't have time for this! No pity party! Sakura was in danger and needed to go to the hospital! Nothing else matters!

Despite this Anko relished the feeling of less clothing… but it wasn't because Anko was a pervert or even a loose woman! She didn't get off on people seeing her exposed body or have a lack of modesty as Kurenai seemed to think…the explanation was actually a little silly…

Anko couldn't regulate her own body temperature… another one of her former master's dabbling's.

The trench coat… flapping it some could help her body cool down if she was too hot, as was usually the case, and if she was cold she could wrap herself up in it a bit more and use a fire style jutsu she invented just for the purpose of keeping herself warm. It was quite the handy cap…

Upside was she was invisible to those who tracked by heat signature… like snakes…that were usually already on her side… yay… especially since now she sweat only to release toxins from her body when she was poisoned… and shivering did absolutely nothing for her…

Anko had been avoiding going out mid-day and usually stuck to being inside and in the shade where there was a merciful amount of air conditioning while wearing her 'Sakura Safe' wardrobe.

The relish Anko felt currently was being the perfect temperature…her movement giving her just enough breeze while the late day held just enough warm humid air to keep her warm… sweet blessed perfect temperatures… If she wasn't in such a hurry she would spend the rest of the night on the stone monument after it had soaked up the last of the day light…

Anko noticed that Sakura had stopped struggling against her jutsu and had passed out. Anko of course panicked and ran faster carrying the unconscious child tighter.

Sakura would not die on her watch!

:

Shikamaru had been minding his own business when suddenly a woman carrying what looked like his classmate Sakura over her shoulder. That would normally have caught his interest the most but in this case, he couldn't help but get an eyeful of the woman's topless form with trench coat flapping in the wind.

It was over just as quickly as it had begun but the damage was done, and the image was permanently burned into the poor nine-year-old's mind.

Shikamaru grunted. He was too young for this shit! He was sure his teenage self wouldn't mind so much but still! Photographic memory with perfect recall! Geeze!

"Troublesome woman..."

:

The Hokage had been summoned to the hospital with the notice saying it was urgent and had moved quickly only to go to the room to see Dr. Yakushi sitting calmly drinking coffee.

"Sup." The doctor said.

"You said this was-"

The Hokage was interrupted by the sound of breaking glass and suddenly Anko was standing in the door carrying an unconscious Sakura. Anko was giving all present an eyeful, for which the Hokage was appreciative, but the twigs and broken glass in her hair as well as the panting and panicked look painted a look that was anything but sexy.

"Hokage! Yakushi! Fix her now!" Anko said rushing over to the bed to lay Sakura down and immediately noticed the broken glass on the child and started cussing and fussing over the girl. Dr. Yakushi began to check her vitals and other basics while he filled them in.

"Sakura's genetic code revealed another very important catch to her healing abilities. They require chakra." Dr. Yakushi said.

"No duh." Anko said in a flat voice finally convinced that 'her' kid was alright and just resting. "Don't most healing factors?"

Dr. Yakushi actually pinched the bridge of his nose. "No. They work by- you know what? That doesn't matter right now! Summed up, Sakura needs to eat chakra to live."

There was silence.

"Elaborate." The Hokage ordered.

"Okay. Pretty much the fourth strand is congruent with her fifth and sixth strand-"

"I thought there was only four!" Anko interrupted only to be met with a glare from Dr. Yakushi.

"Don't. Interrupt. Me." Dr. Yakushi said slowly. Anko gulped. "The fifth and sixth strand of course stand for her own. The alleles she got from her biological parents match the fourth strand. They were close enough together they were actually hard to differentiate. Orochimaru's strand was the most intact so I thought it would be the most dominant and we could see her skin turning a similar shade to his. The next dominant would be the strand from the First Lord Hokage but those were severely damaged and needed to be repaired. This is where the Kidnapper's strand comes in as it was perfect for joining together the strands of both DNA and taking out the defective parts of the cells with my splicing. All three of those however make up only about fifty percent of her DNA. The rest was her own and the fourth strand. That is why her hair is still the same. Orochimaru and the First Lord have straight black hair. Sakura's is fluffy and pink. At first, I chalked it up to genetic diversity, but it was the fourth strand all along… She can effectively be called a member of the Gurru clan…"

"How does this relate to the whole chakra eating thing?!" Anko barked.

"Because that is the strand that governs the creation and-" Dr. Yakushi made a frustrated noise. "Look, the BBC's take chakra to function. Normally this would not be a problem, Orochimaru and the First Lord had massive reserves and stamina regeneration. A little chakra to run this was a drop in the bucket to them but to Sakura her body can't keep up. This is where the fourth strand comes in. Sakura's body awakened the ability to absorb chakra via contact. Her body needs this chakra to function properly."

"So, her body was overburdened by its own healing ability and seeks out nourishment." The Hokage summed up having already seen where this was going.

"Then how would she be a danger to herself and others like you said over the phone?" Anko asked.

"Sakura would naturally seek this out." The Hokage said gravely. "If what Dr. Yakushi is implying is correct Sakura would seek out the chakra herself and absorb it with or without the consent of the donor. There is a reason the ability to absorb chakra is considered 'unholy' or 'demonic'. One becomes unable to process normal food; the body finds chakra is more sustaining and adapts. Next one becomes addicted to the feeling of chakra; nothing is more exhilarating. Finally, the person will succumb to their baser desires and either go mad with their desire or after attacking and most likely killing their friends and families they commit suicide to release themselves from what they perceive as an unholy curse going against everything they hold dear."

"The Gurru Clan… they had this ability as their bloodline…" Dr. Yakushi said quietly. "The Second Hokage tried to help them once upon a time. Anything to stop that unending drive. He was unsuccessful…"

Dr. Yakushi let out a tired sigh. "Sir. How may I be of assistance? Sakura is quite possibly better off dead. I can try to cut out that part of her genetics but anymore will possibly destabilize her."

Anko looked horrified as the Hokage merely bowed his and obscured his face with his hat. "Screw that! She can have my chakra if it comes to it! We can control it."

"Anko!" The Hokage barked. "You do not know what you ask. The Gurru clan tried. They tried to overcome their weakness but the drive…the hunger… it is not something one merely controls. However, there are ways we can help her. There is still a place for someone like her in my ranks. I have a solution, don't you worry… but I'm afraid you will not like it."

"What could be worse than what Dr. Yakushi described?" Anko asked close to breaking into tears. It was like she was at that damn laboratory once again. Scared, not sure if she was doing the right thing, and worried about a little girl who was depending on her to get this right.

"A clan jutsu. It was made forbidden back in the time of the founding of the village." The Hokage said pressing forward. "A seal called 'The Demon Choker'. It does what you imagine. It is applied to the neck and stops the flow of chakra completely to the brain. The brain can survive for a few moments, but prolonged use will kill the one it is under. It was inspired by a legend of Son Wuk Kong's shrinking crown from the great epic 'A Journey to the West', and the Hyuuga clan's Caged Bird seal. It will give her an 'off button'. It will allow us to control how much she 'eats' and if she is about to attack someone it will give us a way to stop her before she can do something she will regret."

"I don't see how this fixes things!" Anko said. "We can't just give her a seal just like-"

The look in the Hokage's eyes made her stop. He looked at her like he knew. He knew already the pain that the seal would give Sakura, and he knew the pain that such a seal would give herself and him as well, and he accepted it. This had to be done, his eyes said and Anko hated it. "We can train her to attack only the enemy and only when we command with conditioned responses and we have a source of food for her when she is 'off the clock' so to speak."

"She won't change all at once." Dr. Yakushi said looking down. "I know how hard it is to raise a child with…special needs. But if I gave up on my son Kabuto… both of us wouldn't be around today…"

Anko glared at the floor. Tears fell defying her ability to control them.

It was all her fault.

She should have let her die.

She was a freak before.

Now…she was going to become a monster.

A monster most would kill out of pity.

Sakura was asleep right now.

It would be so easy…

She could just give this little girl release and wash her hands of this…

But here she was, prolonging the life of one who by all rights should be allowed to die honorably because of the want to try and make it up to her.

She couldn't let this girl die without giving her a chance to live.

"Do it. I'll take care of the rest." Anko said finally defeated.

"You did the right thing…" The Hokage said watching as the young woman wept for this girl and watched as he applied the hellish seal around the girl's throat.

Spirits help them.

:

:

"I couldn't do it. I couldn't help her…she died in my arms and…what have I done?'

-Lab 45 audio log, cassette #9 -the Abnormal's report

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: A/N: This one was a doozy. I took a whole month to decide whether or not to do this but… the show must go on.

Stuff I'd like to rant about but will try to keep quick:

-Chakra absorption abilities: Why I chose them, why they get such a bad wrap and what can we expect from this?

\- The Demon Choker.

-Anko's clothing choices and why.

\- The Abnormal's report.

-Mysterious story plot B.

-Dr. Yakushi.

\- How Anko really screwed the pooch…

-Gurru Clan

:

Awhile ago I mentioned that I had originally planned on giving Sakura chakra absorbing abilities. This idea was halted by a story called 'Pink Parasite' by 88mph. I tried to contact him and waited for months but received no reply. The stories however were dissimilar enough that I no longer felt that giving her these abilities were 'story stealing'.

Chakra absorption in cannon are called by Orochimaru of all people 'unholy'. This is the man who gives out curse marks like candy, has a boy who is a conjoined twin who can body hop into other bodies and destroy them from the inside out, and works with Kimimaro who posses the Dead Bone Pulse which is arguably the most freaky ability in the Naruto-verse.

Something must be incredibly wrong here to make this happen, so I gave it a bit of a backstory based once again on Soul Eater and Tokyo Ghoul. This is the Tokyo Ghoul part. Ghouls in that story eat people for sustenance. I do not think the cannibal or even blood drinking route was appropriate for a T rated story, so this was changed to chakra absorption. This also plays into Soul Eater as those with Black Blood in the show all 'eat souls' to become stronger. I chose to interpret this as being able to eat chakra rather than souls or human flesh.

Chakra absorption should be given a bad wrap but not so bad a wrap people want to kill her on sight… she is about Naruto level discrimination with the 'no speaking of it' law if they find out about it. Definitely something to consider but not enough to warrant a 'kill immediately'…maybe a 'approach with extreme caution' or 'avoid like the plague' after finding out about it… real friends however will stay…

Chakra absorption has a natural self-healing effect as shown by both Kisame and later the reanimated Pein that when one got their ribcage destroyed and the other self-healed his emancipated form and fixed years of damage to his legs all while absorbing chakra. I was originally going for the full chakra absorption thing as it is actually pretty rare to see it outside of movie villains and thought it would be interesting to make a story based off this, but as mentioned above the other story and moral dilemmas stopped me for a considerable time before I felt I was safe to do this.

What you can expect is some more of the technical crap I usually write. I love me so Naruto theory, but I will also make sure that this has a purpose to the plot… For example, besides the obligatory poking fun at cannon, the explanation on why meditation is important is actually some world building and will be incredibly important later on.

Sakura is also going to be slightly over powered…okay a lot over powered…but remember she needs to keep up with the incredibly huge chakra monsters of Naruto and Sasuke! Giving her super powers is both fun and great for character development as nothing says character development better than killing the parents, giving a super power which is a cursed/unholy/monstrous ability from the yonder elder gods, stick them into life threatening or morally compromising situations and have them all figure it out like normal people rather than have all their problems magically go away because 'Like, super powers! Who needs parents, emotional stability and consequences! I got these super powers that are slowly driving me insane! It's all good Fam!'

Really.

My approach to the story was to actually have things in the story matter to the character. Not so much that they break down into long term emo cycles but enough that they would actually present a problem on a mental and emotional level. Granted this is a battle Shounen and emotionally driven arcs are the norm but not in the touchy feely way and more in the 'I must save Asuna!' or 'He was my best friend!' way… but there is a reason the ones who do it right are usually some of the best in the genre. Hunter X Hunter, My Hero Academia, Soul Eater, Full Metal Alchemist, Death Note, all of them have an emotional element and world building that feels real. All of them could be considered 'Shounen'.

To those who think I am being a little too harsh on Sakura or that I am 'adding too many super powers to try and make her interesting' I'm not really. I am developing the character by breaking her down and seeing how she ticks. Sakura is a very normal girl with self esteem issues in cannon. Sakura in this story is being rebuilt to become a hero. A true hero, not a perfect one, not wish fulfillment fodder, or even an edgy edgelord, just a person given the opportunity to become greater than herself and one who takes it while breaking down the barriers that control her thinking.

:

The Demon choker as explained is a cursed seal developed by the Sarutobi clan that cuts off the chakra flow to the brain causing extreme pain then black outs.

It was originally used by the clan as a way to secure war prisoners or insane clansmen and was usually branded on the forehead or neck. The purpose of the seal on Sakura is to give her a leash. She is allowed to attack and even encouraged to do so but only when the master of the seal says.

The original legend was about the keeping of an oath not to kill. Any time the Monkey King Sun Wu Kong tried to use lethal force or killed someone the crown became tighter and tighter. Sakura is going to have a similar use for the seal, but it will also be a way for people to control her.

:

A fan favorite but not one of mine is the idea of a slutty and or psychotically sadistic Anko. This cannot be farther from the real Anko if you tried. The creepiness and even the banner and blood licking while making an impression on Naruto looks to be all an act to scare the kids and the Chunin Exams. This can even be seen in the cringe worthy filler arcs. She only really puts the act on when she is around Naruto to mess with him and is serious during missions.

Anko's character actually seems incredibly responsible and even self-loathing much like Kakashi, so in my story I decided to dispense with the bullshit and just have 'Anko'. Problem was her mode of dress seemed to contradict this and I ran across the idea that perhaps she doesn't wear it by choice anymore but more of a necessity much like nobody would recognize Kankuro without his face paint.

Anko not being able to control her own body temperature is a reasonable explanation given that I already made her immune to most drugs and toxins… I wondered if Orochimaru has similar problems… maybe that's why he spends most of his time underground or in labs…

:

The Abnormal's report was originally an idea to get people hyped about the upcoming chapter and give an exposition dump but it quickly evolved into a running C plot. This will be important later on but my question to you is this…

Who's lab report is it?

:

There have been times when I cut to what is going on in the Kiri rebellion. This is going to be explained soon. It has a lot to do with the story and is going to be one of the biggest changes I make.

All you need to know right now is that stuff is going down and Konoha will become involved pretty quickly.

:

Dr. Yakushi is an OC but also a character in the story. He is Kabuto's adoptive father and a medic in cannon. When writing him there was only two lines about him and both were in reference to Kabuto.

'He is a medic's son' and 'He takes after his father playing around with dead bodies like this.'

These are not actual quotes, but they change from viz translation to scan translations that I can do research on, so they were close enough.

My brain popped out the character of Dr. Ryuzaki Yakushi rather quickly as Kabuto's adoptive father. As we know from Kabuto's back story he is an orphan and would normally have no last name and certainly not Nono Yakushi's (Kabuto's adoptive mother from his back story arc) name so there is a relation there I can play with.

He job is supposed to be the reason why Hunter Nin exist as he can reverse engineer bloodlines and make hard and fast counters to them, he also makes the perfect exposition person for this Sakura story. That's basically his job. He is also the Head Medic since Tsunade left as I always wondered who that fell to after she left. His job before that is morgue keeper for the Konoha police department. He was about twelve then. He is around twenty in this cannon and twenty-three at the 'start' of Naruto.

On a related note he is also the one to invent the 'Dead Soul Reanimation' where you control a dead body with your chakra and also the teacher who taught Kabuto how to do genetic stuff.

On a slightly off topic note this is how I do OC's:

-They must be an existing character in the story or at least a character that is inconsequential and not given much thought but needs to exist to make the story happen such as Dr. Yakushi and some could even argue Shiho (Cipher division, Pein arc, trying to decipher Jiraiya's code and has the hots for Shikamaru.)

\- Flesh out these characters as fun little easter eggs with surprisingly fitting characters from my favorite shows, movies, or video games.

-Give them a job to do that makes sense and kill them before they become too important and steal the spot light from the other 'main characters'.

I'm looking at you Shiho you Shikamaru x Temari ship ruiner…

:

Anko really screwed the pooch.

'Nuff said.

Basically, Anko is back to square zero with Sakura…more like square negative thirty.

Sakura has trust issues because she feels like her parents abandoned her and forced her to do stuff she didn't want to do. She understands Anko was trying her hardest, but it still doesn't sit well with her. Now this would be only a minor problem at best if Anko stayed away, now Sakura is spending a lot of time with her and Sakura is getting irritated with her coddling and 'perfectness'.

Mebuki and Kizashi were loving if neglectful parents. Sakura in cannon mentions that they would get mad her if she got into trouble but never mentions them again until the Naruto Road to Ninja arc. Sakura in that is annoyed that they are making her do chores on her day off when she is about to go to war again the next day and it is played off like 'Check your privilege Sakura! I have no parents!' both times and both by Naruto.

I get it. Naruto is an orphan but still man… talk about a sore spot…

Anyways Anko screwed the pooch and now has to adopt the weird hybrid babies… Wolf Children? You know what, this analogy is breaking down…so…

Pretty much Anko broke her trust and that isn't going to go over well in the next chapter.

:

The Gurru clan is not really a blood related clan but one made up of stragglers from all nations that could absorb chakra in some form or another. They were dispersed after the second hokage failed to help them and many were hunted down and exterminated. Many are still around though, and they can be found among all nations.

Gurru= Gullu= Ghoul. Gurru is a term stolen from the Tokyo Ghoul Manga that means 'Eater species'.

:

Anyways thank you for reading and please review if you have any questions!


	12. Humanity Card: Void

Chapter 12: Humanity Card: Void

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:

A/N: Shout out to Suzulu4Moe once again for their fabulous reviews!

…

I am going to save the exposition until after, so you guys can skip it if you want. Let me know what you think in a review!

:

:

'Lab 46 audio log subsection 4. Since Okui died I have sought ways to bring her back. I will be searching the Uzumaki clan formulas for ways I might be able to revive the deceased…I must see her face once more and tell her… I am sorry.' The voice says becoming raw. 'I am sorry I couldn't save you…'

:

The woman who had been previously writhing on the table stilled as she finally, finally got her rest. Her long, now reddish hair splayed out beneath her. She took soft shallow breaths as she tried to get her heart beat in order. Slowly rising she looked around. She was still at the rebellion… but what looked like a lab? Feeling dizzy she took it slowly guiding the maze of tangled and interweaving cords on the floor by the strange iridescent lights coming from the large tubes rising vertically from the stone floor.

She saw a man and tried to hide behind one of the tubes. He was wearing hunter nin robes…

"You can show yourself. It saves me the trouble of explaining everything to an empty room." The man said. "I am an ally."

Seeing the man more clearly, she froze. "You…you're…"

"You may call me Owl." The man said tersely as he examined the test tubes. "And like I said, I am an ally."

"But how! You are the leader of the hunter nin!" she exclaimed.

"Because as the shadow of the Water Shadow I am to look into things that are… unsavory…" Owl said. "I found Yagura is being controlled. We can expect to take action in the next two years or so."

"Why should I trust you?" The woman asked after a moment's hesitation. At this the man merely smiled. It was unsettling on him, like he didn't have much practice with it.

"Because I am the one that can help you put your new powers to use." Owl said.

:

Hiruzen was sitting in his chair across the table from the other counselors as he explained the new development with Sakura.

"So, she is a Gurru… How are we going to control her?" Homura asked.

"Demon choker." Hiruzen said gruffer than he meant. Both counselors just nodded however.

"Excellent. We can also use her abilities to explain the healing factor…" Koharu elaborated. "How much time do we have before she becomes unable to serve?"

Hiruzen knew they were just being practical, but it really irked him that they didn't seem to care whether Sakura lived or died just how much use they could get out of her.

Not like he could change their opinions about it… She was a dead child walking as soon as he placed that seal on her…

Hiruzen hated this part of his job. He would do anything to protect Konoha.

Anything.

His replacement Minato had the same Will of Fire he did. Willing to sacrifice his very own soul so he could provide Konoha a way to protect itself. Hiruzen sent children on life threatening and politically sensitive missions every week. Not even twenty-four hours ago he had sealed the fates of dozens of orphans as pawns for Danzo.

As much as he tried to say he was different, to say he was the better one, the light to his darkness, Danzo and himself were the same. Danzo was his shadow and his mirror. His darkness pointing every flaw in Hiruzen with such frightening and accurate depictions that he was actually frightened of the man.

How far was too far?

How much was too much?

Where did his power end as Hokage?

Where did the village's influence end?

In the Village Hidden in the Leaves he was all powerful and all knowing. He wasn't bragging to admit he could take most if not all his troops one on one with an arm behind his back and, if he desired, know their deepest and darkest secrets within moments even as old as he was. But where was he to limit himself and when would did he act for the good of all around him and for the structure of the village itself?

Where did he draw the line?

Worse were the fears Danzo made too real in his eyes. What if he wasn't acting for the good of the village and just working to keep himself in power. Hiruzen despite everything did not hate Danzo.

He just understood him all too well.

Hiruzen sighed deeply. "Enough."

:

' _Sakura! Come here silly!' her mother laughed. Little Sakura squealed and toddled over to her where her mother scooped her up and spun her around while Sakura giggled. 'Who's mommy's pretty little girl?'_

' _I don't want to go anywhere! I want to stay home and snuggle my cute little daughter!' Her mother exclaimed holding her close. Sakura could still remember the way she smelled. It made her happy, peaceful even. Sakura knew everything was going to be okay._

' _Get up! I know you can do better than that!' her mother commanded as Sakura trained. At first it had been to see if she could get Sasuke's attention… but now it had become the only way she saw to get her mother's real approval. It felt good when her mother praised her, or at least have nothing bad to say._

 _Sakura watched numbly from the outside looking in. It was her mother. The one who was gone. This was the first memory she had of her. She looked…happy. How could she feel happy? How did she ever feel so happy? Sakura wasn't even sure if this place was real. She didn't know what was real anymore._

 _The next memory played on whilst Sakura watched sitting in a field of grey. The day she found out that the woman who had picked her up and spun her around telling her how pretty she was wasn't her real mother. Back then she didn't think it mattered. That Sakura had been happy she had parents. Now… what would her mother say now she was a freak? It was a scenario Sakura played out over and over again in her mind._

' _What the hell are you…' her mother said backing away from her terrified._

' _What the hell are you?!' her mother said and began to attack her._

' _What the hell are you?' her mother said holding her close and crying._

'WHAT THE HELL AM I _?!' Inner shouted into the grey void._

' _We are anything we want to be.' A voice whispered from the dark recesses of her mind._

 _Sakura felt small again. She was a toddler once more. She felt like crying out to her mother._

' _Mommy's dead and you're all alone.' The voice said in a whispering croon like one was talking to a small child. '…but I know what will make you feel better…'_

 _Sakura was back to her real age looking around, but the voice was nowhere to be seen._

'And what would that be _?' She demanded angrily. '_ Who the hell are you _?!'_

 _The voice said nothing, and her search was fruitless as she searched in the grey void. Sakura reached out with her chakra, becoming still and felt everything around her. Something…smelt good…_

 _Sakura wandered in the void following the smell. It smelt…sweet. Sakura was standing before a pool of black. Instinctually she knew that the smell vanished under the black water._

 _Sakura didn't know what she was doing. When did she become such a foodie that she would follow a smell no matter how good it smelled… Sakura looked around. She couldn't see her secret base…_

 _Suddenly the pool scared her…but she also felt so…_ hungry _… the smell evolved from something sweet to something that smelt so… filling. She could feel herself practically drooling._

' _Go on.' The voice echoed louder in the void. 'Eat. You are hungry right?'_

 _Sakura never felt more hungry in her entire life and the water… it smelt so delicious…_

 _Sakura was panting and kneeling at the pool… she was staring at her reflection… she reached down into the water. It felt so…sticky…warm…_

 _Suddenly a hand grabbed her own. It was pale, and a figure came out of the water._

' _Come on in…the water… it tastes soooooo….goood….' The strange inverted version of herself cooed. It was weird and scary, and it was covered in black and dripping. Sakura shrieked and wrenched her hand away from her doppelganger falling backward and scurried backward trying to get away. The figure licked some of the liquid off of her own hand in a slow and sensual way. The one that had held Sakura's. Sakura got up and bolted. It felt…weird… wrong… something her mommy wouldn't like… something she would feel ashamed of if she did… Sakura ran…and ran… and ran…_

' _Wake up Sakura…' the voice said. 'You know you're hungry…'_

Sakura woke up with a start.

:

Sakura was sleeping and rightly she should. It was nearly eleven. She was small and needed rest. Anko sat sentinel in a chair next to her hospital bed. The room was sparse and dark. Anko had found a set of clean hospital scrubs and barrowed them so she wouldn't alarm Sakura when she woke. They were a little warm but cracking the window slightly helped keep her regulated.

Anko was pondering something Dr. Yakushi recommended before he left them alone. He suggested she should talk to Sakura about her own body modifications. Said it would help her transition and give Sakura a reason to look to her.

Anko looked down at the brown tile floor.

She didn't want to.

Anko would help Sakura in anything she endeavored to do without hesitation.

But this… this was too personal… they had only known each other for a little more than a week… it'd be too soon and she had been walking on egg shells as it was. It killed her to be so fake but…it was better than being real and pushing her away…

Shit.

Now she knew why Prissy McBitch-bitch drinks. Anko wished she could get drunk… but the responsibility wasn't going to go away either way. Anko knew when she signed up for this job that she would be there for the long run, but it never hit her until now just how long that really was.

 _Would she be there for her when she was a teenager?_

 _Did her parents give her The Talk yet?_

 _Oh shit! Did that mean she had to do that?! Shit!_

 _Anko was still a freaking virgin! How was that going to work!?_

 _Would she be there for her when she got her first boyfriend?_

 _Wait. Did she even like boys?_

 _Nope, nope! That was a thought for another day! Next!_

 _Um… what about hobbies? Did she have any?_

 _It seemed like she didn't really have any besides reading and training… shit…_

She knew next to nothing about her and the last few days she… was to careful… she should have tried to talk to her a bit more… she was just so quiet it made Anko feel awkward.

 _Would she be there for her when she got married?_

 _What would that be like?_

A dark cloud passed over the moon and a chill ran down her back.

 _Would she even make it that far?_

Anko was still torn about her decision to seal Sakura because of her power. It wasn't right, and it wasn't fair. It just needed to be done… at least that is what she kept telling herself. They could have waited… Dr. Yakushi said they had no idea the time line that she would manifest her psychosis. The seal could have been put on her as a choice, so she could at least have some control over her life… but the Hokage was insistent. His word was law and that was the right thing to do. Anko curled more in on herself. Sakura would probably hate her now…

Anko heard Sakura shifting before she leapt out of bed like the Demon King was after her. Sakura was crying and panting and looked scared out of her wits. A nightmare.

"Hey… take it easy there…" Anko said slowly pulling the girl into a hug. A risky move but it felt natural. Sakura froze, trembling and staring at her with fear in her eyes. "Look… I'm sorry if I scared you before but it really is me."

To Anko's surprise Sakura didn't try to struggle or even resist. She just looked so tired…

Anko walked over carefully to her. Sakura looked up at her with a glazed look in her eyes.

"You smell… really good…" Sakura said softly, trembling.

Anko's breath hitched but forced a small smile. So, she was already interested in eating…

Anko shrugged off her jacket and shifted her shirt so it revealed on of her bare shoulders. "I see you're hungry… Sakura… you need to eat some of my chakra… do you know how to do that?"

Sakura seemed to be distracted with the way Anko smelled but suddenly pushed herself away falling back onto the bed and curled up onto a small ball. "No! I am… I am not doing this! It is wrong! I-I…I'm not…"

Anko sighed and reached out a hand and a hand over Sakura's lips and channeled chakra into her hand which was then funneled into Sakura's mouth. Yakushi said this would be the easiest point for her to absorb the chakra…Sakura's eyes widened in alarm as she tried to get away, but Sakura's suddenly glazed over as she tasted the chakra and she began to absorb Anko's chakra and began to eat with gusto.

Anko felt her chakra drain away, about as much as a slow burn C-rank jutsu, and watched Sakura just ate. Her eyes were dilated as greedily sucked her chakra out. The draining began to wane and Anko figured Sakura was done and removed her hand away from the tiny girl's mouth. Sakura looked…well…dopey. Like she had just eaten a huge meal and needed to sleep it off. Anko waited a few minutes as Sakura seemed to slowly regain consciousness from her food-drunk stupor.

Sakura blinked a few times before just staring at Anko.

"Why?" She said as if still trying to comprehend what just happened.

"Dr. Yakushi missed some stuff." Anko said. "You have the ability to absorb chakra. Something like your body needs extra since it has to heal faster. This has a downside as you probably guessed. You need to eat chakra along with food to survive. It's totally natural."

Sakura's ears and cheeks were grey as her black blood blossomed into an embarrassed blush. "Why did it…"

"Feel good?" Anko guessed. Sakura if possible turned a deeper shade of grey almost black. "You were tired after training for so long, you body must have been really tired. Sakura everyone has needs… you just have different ones and that is nothing to be ashamed about…"

Sakura wouldn't look at her and tried to huddle herself into a small ball. Anko felt concern well in her chest.

"Sakura… it's okay-"

"NO IT ISN'T!" Sakura shouted finally looking up at her, rage, frustration, and tears traced her face. "I AM A FREAK! I _EAT_ PEOPLE AND _I LIKE IT_! HOW IS THAT OKAY?!"

"You don't eat people." Anko said trying to calm her. "You are a good person Sakura-"

"Mom said that chakra was made up from physical and spiritual energy! Mom said that if I broke one or the other it was like breaking their body and soul! I ATE you! You should be mad! You should- You should-"

"Hate you?" Anko asked and Sakura became very still. Anko looked down at her little charge. She was so frail and knowing that she would probably be driven insane by this drive… it hurt… it hurt like nothing else. "Sakura listen to me carefully… Yes. In a way you ate me… but that doesn't define _you._ You are not a bad person for having wants and desires. You are not a bad person when you have those desires and someone who cares about you tries to fulfil them… Sakura I want to help you. You are my responsiblit-"

"SHUT UP!" Sakura shouted angrily. She was so sick and tired of this-this- _Bitch_! "If I am such a burden let me go! Go! You are not my mom! You never will be, so just GO!"

That shut Anko up. Anko's mind was racing as she processed what Sakura just said. "I…uh…what? Sakura you're not a burden-"

"Then why are you bothering?!" Sakura exploded. She had never felt so angry before and like all of her other negative emotions so far. It felt good. It felt good to be angry. To want to punish those that were hurting her. Like this woman… "You have no reason to look at or even care about me! So just go! Live your life! I'll-"

"Die." Anko said cutting her off. Sakura paled.

"I nearly…"Sakura said slowly.

"Died. Yes." Anko said sitting on the bed next to her. "You think a healing ability like that is automatic? That it didn't cost something? Every time you heal up your body needs nourishment from somewhere. I bet you had some trouble generating chakra, right?"

Sakura was staring at her lap, face totally blank.

"As for the other stuff… why I don't think you're a burden, why I want to help… Well…" Anko said taking a deep breath and releasing it. Anko had nearly slapped the girl silly a few times during her little tantrum she had been so angry, but she was a shinobi and a shinobi wouldn't let an eight-year-old girl throwing a tantrum upset them. It was time. "Sakura… to explain I need to show you something. It will be… alarming, but I will be fine okay?"

Sakura looked up at her with a confused glance before nodding.

Anko stood up and walked around the bed until she was standing at the foot of the bed across Sakura's line of sight. Anko took a deep breath then pulled a knife from her coat and drew it across her own throat.

Sakura shrieked and watched as Anko fell to the floor throat gushing with blood. All hatred she had for the woman fled as she rushed to Anko's side trying to stem the flow of bleeding by applying pressure to her throat. Anko just smiled weakly before she opened her mouth impossibly large and then opened larger. A hand rose from her throat and then a body. Sakura began screaming and didn't let up until a new form appeared and by that time tears were already freely flowing. Anko had shed her old body like a snake shed it's old skin…

Sakura stared at the woman in horrified awe before suddenly Anko's long tongue darted out and to Sakura's continued horror wrapped around her leg lifting her up in the air upside down. Sakura was screaming and crying and was just too afraid… She was then tossed gently on the bed and there was a loud CLACK as Anko jumped onto the edge of the metal bed and squatted in a crouch much like she had seen Dr. Yakushi do.

Sakura was trembling as she dared sneak a peek at the form crouched before her. The first thing she saw were glowing brown eyes with slit pupils and a purplish eyeliner shaped them. Anko's tongue darted back and forth cleaning off the mucus that covered Anko's body.

This was Anko. The tongue retracted into Anko's skull with a sick SLURP and Anko wiped her mouth. Anko then back-flipped with extraordinary flexibility to the end of the bed and picked up her old skin and to Sakura's terrified, disgusted curiosity put it back on…Turning to Sakura she smiled awkwardly, face normal. She was even wearing the same hospital scrubs…

"I'm a bit of a freak too. My…my teacher did this to me… I was about your age when I got it done…" Anko said. "He was the real freak. Someone bonded his DNA with that of a snake when he was born, and he became a scientist to fix himself… but he soon realized that his…freaky body gave him an edge being a ninja and altered himself even more until he was the 'Ultimate Lifeform' and still becoming better… I trusted him… I wanted to be just like him… he helped…"

Anko watched Sakura's reaction. Shit she knew she had done too much, Sakura was now scared stiff of her, and-

"Did he hurt you?" Sakura asked in a very small voice that seemed to echo around the silence of the dark hospital room.

"Not until the end." Anko admitted. She shrugged of her coat and opened the collar of the hospital scrubs to reveal the black mark on her shoulder. "This is a cursed mark. It is a seal he said would make me almost as strong as him, but the cost was that it would chip away at my mind if I disobeyed him or used it too much… he abandoned me, and I have been burdened by it ever since… because of it… my memory is in fragments." Anko laughed bitterly. "I didn't even remember my own name until a few years ago… Sakura… I chose to be like this… you didn't… I want to help you in whatever way I can because even though I don't pretend to understand what you have gone through… I won't just abandon you like my teacher did… you are my responsibility… if I left you… I'd be no better than him."

Sakura was silent for a long time before she finally looked up. "Okay… you can help. Now what?"

Anko walked over and pulled her close. Sakura seemed to flinch at this but slowly relaxed in her arms. Sakura was just relieved she didn't feel as hungry anymore. That hunger…it terrified her…

"We take things one day at a time, do our best, fail, then try again the next day." Anko said simply before taking a deep breath. This was going to hurt. Holding her closer Anko was ready. "Sakura, I am going to help you with your 'food' for now but later you will need to eat more often than I have chakra for…so that may cause you to get really hungry, and really crazy. You won't go crazy now and you do have some control over it. We will just need to find you a source of food big enough… but until then… the Hokage put a seal on you… just in case… it is called the Demon Choker and it is designed to halt the flow of chakra to the head from your neck. It won't kill you because you have the healing thing, but it should, for example, stop you from eating someone's chakra without permission. This is a super-mega-last resort type of thing and I want you to know I would never allow them to put something on you like that if it wasn't totally necessary so-"

"I'm glad." Sakura said looking up at Anko. Hugging her… felt nice… almost like hugging Ino… "I was super hungry… I still feel kind of hungry… it was really scary… like I didn't have control of my own body… I'm glad there is a way to stop me from…hurting someone."

"I get it." Anko said with an amused grin. She could be so cute…when she wasn't being a total brat…

"Well…I… okay… I am just happy I won't hurt anybody…" Sakura said quietly before scrunching her face up. "Why am I so okay with this?! You are some weird snake demon, I am a chakra eating monster! How does this make sense?!"

Anko's shoulders shook, then a snort burst, a giggle, then full on cackling.

"I've been wondering that since I became like this!" Anko chuckled at Sakura's frustrated confusion she laughed again. "At first I was like 'I am such a freak! Oh, poor me!' but then I would find myself doing the most random 'normal' stuff ever and the situation always struck me as funny. 'I am a snake demon woman with fangs and poison and everything and I am doing the laundry on a Friday night because I can't get a date.' or 'I am immune to poisons and thus can't get drunk if I wanted to.' Or even, 'I am a snake demon woman with the ability to elongate my limbs, but I can't seem to reach the cereal box that far back on top of the refrigerator.'"

Sakura held in a chuckle at the last one. It did seem pretty funny. Sakura wanted to try.

"I am a chakra eating demon child that really just wants some canned fruit." Sakura said chuckling. This was her father's type of joke. Anko chuckled along with her.

"Sakura, I think you are able to take this in stride so well because you just ate." Anko said becoming more serious but still had a teasing tone. "You're chakras reset, and you got back a lot of Yin chakra. The stuff you are experiencing hasn't changed, you just became even stronger to handle it."

Sakura nodded. That made sense…not really… but it was late, and Sakura wanted something to eat. "When can we go home?"

"Any time. I was just waiting for you to wake up." Anko said with a sigh. "Tonight's the last night before you start the academy and the last night of the Rinne Festival. You wanna grab some dango on the way? Splurge a little?"

Sakura looked up at her with a small blush. "I've never had dango…"

Anko's mind ground to a halt. "Brat. Repeat that. I must have heard you wrong."

Sakura bristled at the new 'Brat' nickname. "I said I never had dango before! Mom and Dad never made enough to afford a bunch of stuff okay?!"

Sakura's frustration came to a halt as Anko tossed Sakura over her shoulder and burst out the open window eyes determined and bounded to the festival lights.

Sakura would taste heaven tonight! Believe it!

:

Sakura watched in awe as Anko scarfed down nearly three dozen sticks of dango by herself. The dango was good, especially the green tea flavor, but the amount Anko ate… it was too much. Sakura also felt strangely full after the first few bites. It was like she had already eaten… Sakura frowned when she remembered she basically had…

The woman she was sitting next to, Sakura didn't hate her, just didn't really trust her… and even that mistrust was surprisingly relieved when Anko all but proclaimed that she was never going to abandon her and understood what she was going through… Even still… Sakura didn't find her friendly and perfect anymore… she was a terrible role model all things considered but she was someone who had gone through what she had and come out on top… sort of… so even if Sakura couldn't necessarily trust her she felt she could respect her.

Sakura took another small bite of dango. The pink one was named after cherry blossoms like her and this shop made them cherry flavored.

"Ms. Anko?" Sakura asked. Anko stopped her annihilation of the dango briefly to look at her.

"'Sup brat?" Anko asked smirking as Sakura scowled at her.

"Is the thing you showed me in the hospital secret or private?" Sakura asked. Anko smirked. The kid sure knew how to be discreet…

"More private than secret..." Anko said as a serious look came over her. "My crew on the tracking department know but that is about it, except you now. Even the Hokage only knows so much and not the full extent."

Sakura nodded slowly. "And…well…what about…?"

"It would make things easier if people knew." Anko said picking up that Sakura wanted to talk about the seal and the chakra eating. "It would be hard to explain if it became public by accident. Also, there might be a problem hiding it."

Sakura nodded again tightening the scarf Anko ended up buying for her when they remembered her new seal would be exposed. Sakura frowned. She would have to wear higher collared shirts if she didn't want people to notice it. Sakura thought about it. Her healing abilities would be covered by the chakra absorption and while she would be reviled it would keep her safe from those who would try to use her blood for immortality or whatever it was crazy grownups wanted.

"Then they can know." Sakura said simply. Anko sighed.

"You know why I keep it a secret right?" Anko asked. Sakura looked up at her confused. "You can't just parade it around. People wouldn't understand. Never underestimate the influence fear has on the human mind. My teacher taught me that."

Sakura was quiet a moment. "So… how?"

"Slowly." Anko said simply. "Don't hide anything except what needs to be hidden. When questions are asked, answer them. One thing that my teacher taught me to always do is never lie. Even if he was a bastard I never once heard him lie to me… it was part of the reason I ended up trusting him so much…"

There was a loud BANG outside the shop that made Sakura nearly jump out of her skin. Rushing out to see what it was Sakura was met with the beautiful sight of fireworks going off.

' _Right…_ ' Sakura thought. ' _Rebirth festival. Figures there would be some cross over with New Year's_.'

Sakura admired the sharp pops and fireworks of the explosions and felt tears well up. She wiped them away and looked at the wetness on her hand. Where had this come from? She was crying and for some reason she couldn't stop. Suddenly arms wrapped around her and she was hoisted onto Anko's shoulders. Sakura kept crying. harder this time.

"Why are you so nice to me?" Sakura wept. "I don't deserve it!"

Sakura couldn't see Anko's face but there was a smile in her voice. "Cause someone was nice to me. Especially when I didn't deserve it."

Anko smiled up at the sky.

'Thank you, you dirty old man. Where ever you are, Happy Rebirth.'

:

Said dirty old man was sitting in a rock cave escaping a winter hurricane over near the Mist village. He had heard reports from his spies suggesting that there was a group known only as Akatsuki.

The Red Dawn.

Their group was shrouded in mystery but the stuff they were rumored to have done definitely suggested that their ranks were S-rank or possibly even high enough to rival the Kage. This peaked Jiraiya's interest as if these rumors were true then it was a security risk to Konoha.

Suddenly a frog leapt into the cave and gave a low _croak._ It then opened it's mouth impossibly wide and spat out a large stack of letters. Jiraiya gave a perverse giggle. Letters to the writer, Spirits he loved fan-mail so much! Everyone loved to give him a small note on their secret fetishes and some even sent nudes!

The first few were from so really naughty fans who enjoyed his work. Two caught his eye though. One was by Masochistic-Bitch-Boy from Hill country and the other was Sultry-Raven from Hot-Spring country.

Masochistic-Bitch-Boy told him that he really loved the tenderness shown to Tsuna, his main character and favorite lady, and that he hoped that they would return to the place they first met to make some sweet love in the streets. Maybe up in the tree the main character Gintama once compared to his dick!

Sultry-Sadist-Raven was so young but so naughty! They told him that they appreciated the imagery of their favorite character Rei being wrapped up in only a boa constrictor and how it could be a metaphor for Rei's predatory nature in later additions especially with the way she tended to stalk her prey before going full Yandere. There was also a naughty little note telling him that if he was ever interested to stop by Hot-Spring country and they could make some hot spicy love in the shower!

These messages would have made his heart soar with the sheer naughtiness of the content if they were real readers… Sadly they were from his spies and comrades…

' _Konoha needs assistance, the Hokage requests you back in the village. Urgent. Recall Tenzo on your way home.'_ Masochistic-Bitch-Boy told him.

' _Orochimaru is alive. He has been spotted in a group we know nothing about. He is after the Sharingan. Rain village seems to be their headquarters, extreme danger, do not go alone.'_ Sultry-Sadist-Raven said informing him. This news had made Jiraiya tremble with anxiety, but he knew that he would finally have his showdown with his old teammate either in hell together or on this plane of existence.

And he thought they had finally converted the boy Sultry-Sadist-Raven to the way of the pervert! Dammit!

Jiraiya was about ready to pack up and leave when he heard footsteps in the rain. A man was approaching the cave his face obscured by a plain white hood. This could be anyone.

Jiraiya put on a genial smile. "Crazy weather we're having huh?"

"Truly." The man readily agreed, pulling back his hood and showing his face. To Jiraiya's alarm his head was bald and there were a good six different eyes now staring back at him all in different sockets around his skull. He turned to him smiling with a mouth containing nothing but gums. This wasn't the alarming part. The alarming part was the fact the man had a mature Sharingan eye in his right eye socket, an activated Byakugan eye in his left eye and even a Katsuryugan on the third middle eye in the center of his forehead. Millions of questions ran through Jiraiya's mind as he was suddenly pinned down by the man's stare, but they were all answered by the next sentence out of his mouth.

"Hello Jiraiya of the Sannin… My name is Shin…lets go with… Uchiha… Yes! Shin Uchiha! And I will be your assassin for this evening on behalf of Byakuren." Shin chuckled sadistically as several of his clones approached the cave all having newly acquired dojutsu. This was going to be fun…

Lightning crackled across the sky.

:

:

A/N: And it begins! The next part is super exposition heavy so if you want to find out more read on! If you just want to get to the next chapter I am way sorry!

:

Stuff I would like to talk about!

-Sakura's dream

-Anko's body modifications.

-Anko's reconciliation.

-Where the hell is Ino?!

-Jiraiya's code.

-Shin.

-Byakuren

:

Sakura's dream is trippy and makes very little sense, but it represents the changes happening in Sakura's mind. She is afraid of herself on some level and doesn't feel human. Her drives for love and family and acceptance slowly being replaced by a hunger that she sees as wrong. The sensual scene is more symbolic and not a representation of anything truly sexual but the temptation of her carnal side that says, 'Screw it! I am going to EAT!'. Sakura will end up finding this drive growing stronger through her time as a ninja but will she be able to hold something like that off?

:

Anko never shows these modifications in Cannon but in this AU she has pretty much all the same modifications as Orochimaru. This is explained away for me at least as a logical conclusion to Orochimaru's character and the level of devotion Anko used to show him. It was only when the curse mark ended up happening that Anko was abandoned because she felt she would never be good enough for the man and backed out.

She has the following:

-Anti-bodies against most poisons.

-Altered sweat glands so she has no scent and sweats out poisons from her body.

-No heat signature.

-Increased metabolism, muscular strength, and cardiovascular alterations to make her physically stronger.

-Soft Physique modification allowing her to elongate her limbs, torso, neck, and tongue to inhuman length and contort her body in almost any shape.

-Snake Tattoo allowing her to summon snakes from her clothing as well as anywhere on her body.

-Detachable jaw built for Orochimaru's Oral Summoning and Oral Sealing.

-Power of the White snake allowing her to preform Orochimaru style substitution and Oral Rebirth techniques.

-Hormone alterations allowing her to have a perfectly balanced figure at all times.

-Curse mark.

This may seem, a way to wank her and I shamelessly admit this. She is honestly not going to be the last we see of my optimizing characters to their fullest extent. Consider this your warning. Also shout out to a Fic called 'Ouroboros' as there is some similarities to the abilities in my Fic, but it is not nearly so extensive, so we are safe from copying! Yay!

All of these come with a downside however like her inability to control her own body heat being caused by the first three on this list. Her soft physique modifications come with their own host of problems and the curse mark is well… the curse mark… so it isn't like she is overpowered… just wanked to her fullest potential like in DBZ…

:

Anko and Sakura's quick reconciliation.

To be honest this is the reason this chapter took so long to write. I was having a hard time trying to justify the fact that Sakura would be staying for Anko so I used my first 'Altering the rules to suit the story and allow the characters to be out of character' to achieve this… Honestly Sakura should have broken down and refused to trust anyone ever again and Anko would probably develop depression and later throw herself into a mission she was probably going to die on thinking she was worthless except in her job.

But we can't have that, now can we? So, I changed reality. Sakura recognizes Anko as being just like her and strangely accepts her for it. Anko's patience level was astronomical and so was her ability to speak and open up her past where normally she would never share a part of herself so private.

In essence this is what would happen if everyone was being their most perfect, rational selves so they joke and mend things quickly but not fully as I can milk a lot of drama out of this living arrangement…muwahahaha…

Side note and slightly off topic, but related…

My rules for this fanfiction are as follows:

-All deaths, crippling injuries and or problems are permanent unless reasonably mitigated. _Example: Tsunade heals Lee's back injuries using her own medical knowledge and a bit of luck but the costs of such a treatment are high._

-Naruto, Sasuke, Madara, and Kakashi have their Protagonist hax powers hereby revoked and are normal men without crap handed to them. _Example: Prior to the war arc Kakashi can only use the jutsu known as Kamui a stated two times and then because he trained he was able to preform the jutsu four times. In the war arc he used it a whopping ten times after fighting all day against the seven swordsmen, Obito, Tailed Beasts and Madara and was even using a whole ton of lighting jutsu throughout. Now Kakashi has limits and needs to be fixed up somehow before he can keep fighting._

-Any and all events, including jutsu, that can reasonably happen and or be invented will happen at Author's discretion. _Example: Zabuza is able to use a Mist Clone jutsu or Naruto learning the Exploding Shadow Clone Jutsu._

-Characters must stay in character and must not deviate from their character unless it is explained plainly to the audience _. Example: The Hidden Sand Village up and accepts as their Kage a child who is a serial murderer with a history of mental instability and didn't become a chunin until around 13. This means that Gaara has no administration experience, barely any field experience and he is selected to lead hundreds of trained veterans and a village that has suffered a crushing defeat… And Gaara is totally fine, no longer has problems with his Biju, nobody sees what happened to Yagura and thinks this might be a bad idea, and Gaara himself is totally fine taking on that responsibility before he would be allowed to drive in our world. No. Just…No. Make Baki acting Kazekage and wait for either Temari or Kankuro to grow up, gain some experience and take the mantle. Hell, Temari could have done it by the beginning of the War Arc… Or at least explain to the audience how he freaking became Kazekage other than 'he's strong'!_

:

Ino got an infection from her burns and was ironically in the hospital the same time that Sakura was out of the hospital. Ino had also been going to the academy and…let's say kept busy… I will attempt to put her in the next chapter.

:

Jiraiya is a self-proclaimed super pervert, not afraid to use his novels for his codes and a truly devious man. Some may argue that this code was meant to be special to communicate with nobody but Naruto later on in the Pein Arc. To that I say hogwash! A dying man doesn't create a code like that from out of nowhere! It is one that he would have keyed to a certain persons yes, but the foundation would be available to use on lower levels for more sensitive information such as this.

Now who is Masochistic-Bitch-Boy and Sultry-Sadistic-Raven?

Guess right and I will give you this internet strawberry…

And I'm not apologizing for their names…

:

Shin Uchiha.

Yeah, he's in here.

He is a surprisingly strong villain when he isn't just relying on his Sharingan gimmick as he was able to keep up with Sakura and even Sasuke without his Rinnegan hacks, but one thought always niggled me.

How strong would he be with ALL the eyes?

And so, this version of Shin was born. A psychopath with a Dojutsu obsession and firm believer of survival of the fittest he makes a great villain. He is also much younger than the one in the Baruto filler episode… but old enough to be called an adult so he gets to be a little more cocky. He is also more obsessed with Dojutsu than just the Sharingan.

Oh yeah… Shin hasn't lost his first arm yet…

:

Byakuren is an entirely made up organization made up of a group of S-rank plus individuals who are in direct opposition to the Akatsuki and are trying to destroy the world and recreate it in their own image. Their leader is a mysterious man who is able to communicate with people through dreams and is controlling things from the shadows.

This is meant to be the logical counter measure to the Akatsuki and to the shinobi world at large. Also new villans! Or are they? Dun-dun-DUH!

Either way they are in here and they will be having an important role and sadly be the final boss of the series. You will see why later.

Remember what I said in previous A/N's! They are important!

:

As always thanks for reading and please read and review!


	13. Bye, Bye, Bye

Chapter 13: Bye, Bye, Bye-

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A/N: Full author's note at the bottom, I own nothing and Please Read and Review! This is fully skip-able!

Because this honestly feels like me writing a paper with absolutely no feedback… Am I doing good? What do like? What do hate? I need to know!

{EDIT: I have found out how to edit! I am going through each chapter and looking over typos and changing parts, so it flows better. I may have also added more content, so if you are curious be sure to check it out and don't be afraid to point out my typos if you see any that bug you!}

* * *

'Humans are superior to other beasts in one aspect, and one aspect only. The ability to create and use chakra. Through these means man has been able to tame the elements and make them for him. Shogun and Dynamo have no say in his might and even heaven bows to his will! But where does chakra come from? How did it evolve in humans? I propose it came to use through these stones. We drank from riverbeds where these stones grow. Beasts eat of trees that grew in its soil. We eat of those beasts… We are products of the fossilized remains of the God Tree… In order to have chakra we must be willing to devour those who do…'

-Guru Clan Sacred Texts Vol. 1

* * *

Jiraiya took one look at the man before him and said "Nope!"

Jiraiya sunk into the stone cave, taking his gear with him, and began to use _Earth Style: Subterranean Voyage_ to escape when he was suddenly trapped by water seeping through the bedrock. _Shit! Water style?! Being controlled from this deep down?! Better make an exit…_

He gathered chakra in his feet and jumped pushing both earth and water off of him as he re-emerged several hundred feet away from the cave, rolling on the ground to ease the impact. Jiraiya began coughing up the water he accidently inhaled.

"Tsk Tsk Jiraiya…" Shin said gums on full display. "You seem to have forgotten where you are! Water country has a high-water table and iron content deep in its soil…and it's also been raining… I can control such iron rich water with my _Katsuryugan_ and track you with my _Byakugan…_ I am making the water below the earth to become hard as steel and impossible to escape underground…"

Jiraiya got up, a little dizzy from the lack of oxygen, and was only kept from panicking because of his massive amount of battle field experience. That was a trick he should have recognized… Hanzo the Salamader had used it to nullify the effectiveness of those who relied on similar jutsu to enter his territory. It was why The Sanin had to fight him in the first place. There was no way to escape! How do you fight a man who controlled the very ground you stood on?! Jiraiya smirked however.

"Assassin huh? Please. You look like the gay, mutant baby of all dojutsu, but if you are just an over-zealous fan maybe we can part ways with a signed copy and all our heads in tact…" Jiraiya said puffing his chest out and an easy smile on his face.

He tried to keep an eye on all the different pale white boys that were trying to surround him. Each of them had different eyes… shit…

Jiraiya was in a bind. Normally he would blow punks like this out of the water with a big flashy jutsu but with this fight being in Yagura's territory… best stick to Earth Style…

Fire Style wasn't really effective in the rain anyways and toads would be too recognizable. Sadly, the amount of Earth Style Jutsu he knew that would work in this situation were few and far between, what with the ground being harder than steel… He could still plough through it, but it would slow him down quite a bit and wear away his chakra unnecessarily. After he beat this guy he still needed to escape this territory alive after all…

Flipping through hand signs with practiced ease, Jiraiya slammed his palm on the ground, about to attack with his special _Swamp of the Underworld_ jutsu, when he was interrupted by a harsh kick to the back of his head.

Right… _Sharingan_ … Precognitive abilities with access to high-speed processing…which allowed for high-speed counters and this guy was at least upper Jonin level to get the drop on him. Well, he was well and truly trapped… Jiraiya however, still had his jutsu at his fingertips and fell forward causing the whole area to become a large field of black tar with greedily began to sink the various people around him. He smirked blood dripping from his head. Rising, he thumped his chest in a show of bravado.

"Don't underestimate me!" Jiraiya roared, standing atop the tar like it was normal ground and rushed the man now trapped up to his calves in tar.

Shin's eyes just widened, and he grinned breathing feverishly.

"Yes! Make me feel alive!" Shin cackled, as a green eye on the side of his head glowed and dozens of knives flew from his cloak lined with a blue-green glow of chakra. _Wind style?!_

 _Wind style: Verdant Mountain Gale_ was a theoretical tactic that involved the use of wind style to make things levitate, but required too much control to use effectively in battle and only worked on small objects though if they were chakra conductive that could help. Jiraiya flipped around dodging the knives with difficulty as the white kids who had similar eyes began helping _. These are probably poisoned for added effect…An Opening! Let's power through this guy!_

 _Needle Jizo!_ Jiraiya thought as his hair grew long and wrapped around him, filling with earth style chakra to harden the hairs to that of steel and blocking the knives. The pale white monstrosity just cackled however and unrolled his sleeves to reveal at least a dozen more eyes, which all focused on him and seemed to be eye-smiling at him in anticipation. _Seriously who moved the rock this guy crawled out from under?!_

One of them, a bright glowing orange-red one in the palm of his hand, began to glow brighter and brighter building up power, until it fired a brilliant orange laser. Jiraiya lost a good clump of hair trying to dodge and was impaled with a few dozen knives from the boys surrounding him, having taken the opening to use wind chakra to pierce his defenses. The beam flew past him and promptly carved a groove in the solid granite cave he had been staying in. Dripping blood, he was faced with a second eye being charged by the man's chakra while Jiraiya had to dodge more flying knives.

 _Time to finish this!_ _Needle Hell!_

Several of his hairs shot out of his long mane of white hair, as he span and pierced the man and all the boys through the chest. Blood bubbled up from the man's mouth as his knives fell and his eyes twitched. Jiraiya slammed his fist into the tar and sank the rest of the men this maniac brought with him, burying them alive in tar. He then walked right to the man who was now stuck chin deep in tar as he struggled to keep his head above the viscous liquid.

"Tell me why." Jiraiya said looking the man in his two main eyes, face shadowed and killing intent on full blast. " _Why did you attack me_?"

The man just held a bloody gum filled smile. "That's… a… se-cret~ …Hahahahaha…"

Jiraiya sighed and stamped on the man's face plunging him into the tar and burying him there. Another hand sign and the tar turned back into solid granite killing them all since the tar had expanded and likely filled their lungs. Carefully he pulled the knives out of his flesh and used his medical kit to patch himself up. To his surprise there was no sign of poison… What was he even doing with that? Jiraiya stared at the spot the man had been buried…

Well… more knife scars to add to the collection... As much as he loved the way the ladies would trace them during their love making, he didn't like to have too many. That just made him look like a chump lucky to be alive…

Jiraiya was not immune to the irony of that thought…

Jiraiya made a few hand signs and several granite encased boys along with the attacker rose from the ground. Using a sealing jutsu he sealed all the bodies into a scroll and pulled the scroll tight before grimacing and unhinged his jaw to swallowing the scroll. Yes…he could do that jutsu as well… He just had a bad gag reflex and he disliked it greatly… But sorry ladies! He didn't also know his teammates' tongue jutsu… Maybe he'd get it from him before he killed that demented bastard…

He needed to get Tenzo and report on this…

* * *

Deep in the earth, Shin was smiling to himself and giggling. He felt no remorse for his clones, they had just been pawns after all, and Jiraiya was an interesting fighter!

Shin liked him! So devious, so ruthless when he wanted, one could definitely tell he was on the same team as one such as Orochimaru… but also such a believer and beacon of peace! Shin wanted nothing more than to tear him to shreds…

Shin had been so happy to hear that he could fight such a man as Jiraiya… it made him feel like the top dog! The strongest! But he lost…for now at least… and now he had to wait at least two weeks to fight him again... He could have ended it so many times with the Katsuryugan…Oh, to turn Jiraiya's own blood against him…to make him into an explosive that Shin could use against the Leaf! It made him want to go back and fight him right away!

But he wanted to fight Jiraiya at full power…Yes… full power… not like a drunken old fool… to stand over him, beaten and broken both body and soul, ideals completely crushed, as he fought to the last breath…no idealism, no bigotry… just the will to survive and then… Shin would crush the light from his eyes…To Shin such a feeling was more arousing than any woman… but alas! Yagura was around and would most likely notice the explosions, giant toads and horrible amounts of blood surrounding the area ruining his fun… and his boss didn't want him to kill _that one_ just yet…so… Meh, what can you do? Shin believed the words his prey would use was 'cock-blocked'.

Oh well… Jiraiya was strong, so it wasn't like he was going to die soon… and Shin had completed his mission, passing the message of the existence and power of his group to the Hokage... His master would be pleased…

Shin licked his lips. If all went well, he would fight Jiraiya again. This time on the battlefield surrounded by death and carnage… then he could truly prove himself alive!

But until then… he will do as Shingetsu said…

Akatsuki will fall and Byakuren will rise!

* * *

Sakura had woken up not feeling hungry. This was a first for her. Even when she was living at the hospital, she was always hungry. Sakura figured it was because she was healing from whatever Dr. Yakushi did to her… and at home… Sakura was lucky if she got dinner so the next morning she was always starving.

Memories of the night before however flooded Sakura's mind however, and her stomach growled… well…something never change…

Sakura wandered to the kitchen and was surprised to see breakfast already made. Anko was usually busy and Sakura had been eating the canned fruit in the cupboards for breakfast.

Not that Sakura minded… Sakura's favorite food ever was canned cocktail fruit in heavy syrup… but this time on the stove was some honest to goodness meat and there was even some rice left over in the rice-cooker! Sakura saw a box and a bag on the table and went to go examine it… after getting a plate…

The box was marked 'lunch' and the bag had a note.

' _Brat,_

 _Got a call for a mission early this morning. Will be done before 2:30pm for your doctor's appointment with Yakushi. We need review and make the decision to keep you in the academy or to get you a home tutor. The box to the left of this bag is your lunch box. This bag contains a dress for you to wear. I noticed you tend to wear your parent's old clothing and figured that was your way of coping, but when I was doing laundry yesterday I found out you actually don't have anything else. If you want, you can wear it but if not, I understand. Save me some rice in the rice-cooker and eat the vegetables!_

 _-Anko'_

Surprised, Sakura peeked into the bag. It was a cute red qipao dress with white trim. It looked like the one that her mother used to wear before swapping to a white one with red trim. The qipao dress was a formal wear to the Xing people. An old Xing woman had let her mother have it after finding out the poor woman had no nice dresses at all with their family being so poor. Her mother had taken to wearing it all the time saying, 'A woman must always look her best…'

Sakura ate quickly and tried on the dress. It was a little big for her. Apparently, Anko didn't know her size exactly, but to Sakura, who had been used to wearing her mother's old shirts, the dress felt practically like a second skin.

Emotions filled Sakura as she saw her reflection in the bathroom mirror. It was the nicest thing she had ever owned. Even the dress Ino lent her hadn't been this nice… What's more it was a reminder of her mother…

' _Because someone was kind to me. Especially when I didn't deserve it.'_

Moved, Sakura swore up and down that she would make Anko the best meal when she came home!

But for now, there was not much for her to do…

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

* * *

Anko left the Tracking Department earlier that morning with a mission to track down a body. She would have to leave Sakura for a couple of days, but the mission was still up in the air for now. Apparently, the story was that this guy, Mizuki or whatever his name was, was suspected of murdering his buddy, but since the body was behind enemy lines over in the Land of Grass, they would have no evidence unless they could prove it with the autopsy. Anko was chosen as a neutral party and would be given the secret mission of finding the body while under the guise of leading a team of Genin to the Land of Grass to buy medical supplies. On their way back, they were supposed to pick up a group of people from the Fire Temple and escort them back to Konoha.

She would need to organize said team, so she would need to call in a few favors from Genin she knew…no biggie. She knew a few that owed her a favor or two for settling their tab or covering them on missions. That wasn't the problem. The problem was a certain, _mission required_ , member of the team.

Anko walked through the streets and found the right place. Walking up several flights of stairs she found the small condo she was looking for.

She knocked on the door and waited. Finally, Kurenai Yuhi, Ms. Prissy McBitch-bitch, 'Genjutsu Mistress' herself, opened the door.

"A-Anko?" Kurenai asked, stuttering as the woman's mind began to process the image before her. Anko Mitirashi was standing before her door dressed up in a classy outfit and was actually wearing make-up.

Anko grimaced seeing Kurenai's reaction. They hadn't seen each other since the night after the trial meaning the bitch never saw her in her 'Sakura Safe' uniform which was becoming her 'Work Safe' uniform.

"You clean up nice…" Kurenai commented.

"Yeah. Can I come in?" Anko asked, ignoring the compliment. She wanted to get this over with. "Got a mission and they want you on it."

Kurenai looked surprised but let her in. Anko took a seat on the couch and looked around the room. It was plain, but with the simple touches of a femininity of a woman who lived alone, but loved having company over.

"Can I get you any tea or anything?" Kurenai asked, looking a bit nervous to have the younger woman in her home. They hadn't parted on good terms after all.

"No…but um… can you turn up the air conditioning?" Anko asked. It had been a hot and humid morning in Konoha and though Anko put up an indifferent air, she was dying of heat stroke inside. Possibly, literally.

Kurenai looked confused by the request, but turned on the air conditioner, and Anko had to fight hard not to turn into a puddle of goo on Kurenai's couch. _Oh, Spirits! That was delightful!_

"Thanks. You have no idea how good this feels." Anko admitted, flushing in embarrassment because of her break in professionalism. Kurenai smiled, seeing Anko more relaxed calmed her nerves some.

"Glad I could help… so… ah…the mission?" Kurenai asked and Anko straightened up immediately.

After explaining the mission, the conversation got a little awkward but Anko was bound not to leave because of social convention.

"So, they want me, yourself, Suzume and the rookie Hana Inuzuka to do this?" Kurenai asked. "Why all the available chunin ranked kunoichi?"

"Mission says they need me and Hana to track the body. Suzume, Hana, and I for checking the shipment for the correct herbs, and you for picking up the Fire temple VIPs." Anko said uncomfortably. "Probably a seduction mission…"

Seduction missions were… awkward to talk about. On one hand they usually didn't involve sex. Why risk pregnancy, venereal diseases, and counter seduction when you can just use Genjutsu to make the victim feel like they had the best sex of their lives? Literally any and all fantasies were on the table with Genjutsu… The awkward part was that there was usually more than just sex. In fact, many seduction ninja were usually dumb virgins. But they could be anyone. Teachers, health care, the woman at the coffee shop, childhood friends…

They got people to trust them, care about them _, love_ them even, and then they would pump them for information or press an advantage by pretending to be hostages or in danger.

Anko herself had one experience she remembered, working for her master where she befriended a little boy. She had got him to tell her about his mother and father, where they were going to be at, and when they were coming home. The boy never saw his parents again and Anko had to leave before she could be there for him or even say 'sorry'.

Kurenai was a specialist in these sorts of missions. She was just…too nice okay?! On the outside anyway… Inside Anko just knew there had to be something dark and twisted to keep doing these sort of missions… So despite the position not being nearly as bad as many civilians with their heads in the gutter thought, there was still a stigma of them being backstabbers without a conscious...

"Ah." Kurenai said sounding equally uncomfortable. "Well, for the good of the village I guess… Though the way you're dressing now… you could probably do a fair job…"

Anko's face felt slightly warm. "Yeah… well… I ended copying your look so…"

"My look?" Kurenai asked, looking her up and down. Anko's outfit was nothing like her usual wrapped dress style, and her makeup, while well applied, was much thinner than hers as well. _She must have a guy she is trying to impress. I wonder if I should tease her…_

"I don't really see it." Kurenai said, as her face morphed into a mischievous grin. Best to be direct… "So, who're you dressing up for? You look hot enough to seduce a royal."

Anko's eyes widened and she was making the most adorable blushing face. Kurenai almost continued with her teasing but Anko's reply stopped her short.

"Well… I… I mean…Is it too…sexy…you think?" Anko asked quietly, still flushing furiously. "I don't want her to think I'm a slut…or worse a pervert…"

 _Her?_ Kurenai's eyebrows shot up into her hairline catching that little slip… _That… huh…that…that actually explains a lot…I mean…huh… to think Anko was playing for the other team the whole time… hmm… well… we don't know each other well, but maybe it's time to give the poor girl some honest advice…Spirits know that she has been having a bad case of wardrobe malfunctions for a while… As a fellow woman I can do at least this much! I just hope I'm not being too presumptuous…_

"You have the 'sexy librarian' look down pat, maybe with a bit of 'female office worker' and 'femme fatale' thrown into the mix because of your figure. I recommend for you, sweaters in warm earth colors as they would match your hair and bring out your eyes for non-mission wear. With the right make up scheme you could have some nice 'sweet on you', and 'girl next door' vibes going on. Leave out the mesh unless she is comfortable with it and replace the trench coat unless you can make it work for you." Kurenai said seriously. "You have a strong body and it is okay to flaunt it, it is just a bit intimidating to others is all, if you are really committed to this one, make sure you are only showing _that side_ of yourself to her and her alone. Okay?"

Anko was staring at her face pale and mouth working but no sound came out. _How did she-?_

"I… um…how did you-" Anko squeaked. Kurenai just smirked. The younger woman could be so cute when she wasn't being a total bitch!

 _She is probably trying to figure out how I figured it out. Time to reassure her I am supportive of her sexuality and then we can be… Friends? Besties? No! I'll become like her Big Sister bond! *Evil laughter* The poor girl needs some guidance in her life and who better than to give it than her Big Sis? *More evil laughter*_

"I found out on my own. Just now. All the pieces just sort of fell into place you know? You have always had something…different… about you… but don't feel ashamed about it… Even if others say you are unnatural, if that's you, that's you… and I will support you anyway I can okay?" Kurenai said forcing her face into a 'genuine' and 'sincere' look.

Anko's mind was spazzing out _. How the_ hell _did she find out about my_ Body Modifications _?! It sounds like she knows what I_ really look like and can do _! Wait! She got all that from me telling her to turn up the air conditioner and that I mentioned I have insane alcohol and drug tolerance?! Even more she is okay with it?! What the hell is going on?!_

The younger woman just kept working her mouth until she excused herself and fled. "B-Be there tomorrow at 8AM sharp!"

Kurenai sighed as the woman ran out the door. She drank her tea in irritation at the situation. _Well shit…Maybe I went too far... From_ that _reaction, the poor girl was probably still on the fence about this person and most likely still in the closet about her sexuality as well. Well... Never fear Anko! Your self-appointed Big Sister is here for you whenever you need it! I will try extra hard to bond with you over this next mission and offer the support you need! *Evil laughter*_

* * *

Sakura peeked through the peep hole in the door and found Fuu standing in front of the door to her house. She had met Ino's cousin when she had gone over to her house for the first time. What was he doing here?

She gingerly opened it with a butcher knife from the kitchen behind her back.

"Yes?" Sakura asked.

Fuu took a deep breath then struck a pose. Sakura was immediately on guard but relaxed slightly seeing how silly the pose would be in combat.

"I am Sailor Luna, Champion of Love and Justice! I will right wrongs and triumph over evil! In the name of the moon I will punish you!" Fuu said doing a little sequence ending with him pointing his finger at Sakura. At first Sakura was speechless… Maybe she had been too quick thinking he looked cute… He was freaking crazy!

But… something in the back of her mind remembered the sequence and the moves... That was definitely Sailor Luna's battle cry. Sakura would know. Ino had made her read all the comics, and would spout off references-

Sakura's jaw dropped slightly.

"I-Ino?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

Fuu made a large grin, twirled, struck another pose, and winked sticking his tongue out. "Yup!"

Sakura dropped the knife and opened the door wider, only to instantly regret it. Ino/Fuu pounced, tackle-hugging her and even giving her a big, wet kiss on the cheek! A mischievous grin spread across Ino/Fuu's face. "How ya been Forehead?! Sorry I didn't see you last week. I got really sick… But I'm doing better now!"

Sakura's mind was still trying to process this. "How did… Ino did you figure out your clan jutsu?"

"Nah! But Fuu did! He said he was willing to help me see you. Said something about saving him from something but he's really weird so… Anyway, he said figured out a way for me to use his body to come see you since technically I am not allowed out of Daddy's sight except at school and- You know how Mr. Iruka gets…Anyway! By using a botched version of my clan jutsu Fuu transferred _my_ consciousness to _his_ body and he's using my body for a bit. We can't use chakra like this, but it is really, really good to see you again!" Ino/Fuu said bouncing up and down in spot like Ino did when she was excited. Ino's spirit animal was definitely a golden retriever…maybe a Chihuahua...

Sakura smiled and hugged her back. "Thank you. I've missed you…"

"I know. But sadly, I got some good news… and some bad news…" Ino/Fuu said, letting her go and looking serious. "Which do you want first?"

Sakura felt her heart sink and tremble in fear. This couldn't be good. "B-bad news… the good news will cheer me up…"

Ino/Fuu grimaced and her eyes became glossy. Sakura's heart sank further.

"Bad news is… Daddy says I'm not allowed to play with you anymore." Ino/Fuu said quietly. "He got really worried with the kidnapping thing... Then the burning thing… then your healing thing… and finally the black blood thing… Says you're too… big a risk to be associated with anymore… Look. I don't like it either. But-"

"No! I won't lose you too!" Sakura said hugging Ino/Fuu. "I can't lose another important person! I just can't!"

Ino/Fuu smiled stroking her hair. "Ya know, it feels kinda nice having a tall strong body when doing this… It makes me feel like I can actually comfort you… tell you everything is going to be okay… Even so, I wish I were here in person, but I don't even know how Fuu managed to keep this from Daddy…" Ino/Fuu held her tight. "I'll miss you and remember I do have some good news."

Sakura sniveled a bit… This was too much… too much feelings… she bottled it all up inside and felt it bubble down. "What's the good news?"

Ino/Fuu smiled sadly. "I got a puppy… his name is Shiro…He's a Shiba Inu and he's just the cutest thing ever…Guess Daddy thought I would be lonely and felt bad for…making me leaving you… so… I thought you might get pretty lonely too, and I got you this… I didn't know if your apartment allowed pets, but this little guy should be safe…"

Ino/Fuu procured a stuffed bear from their bag. It was green and had big brown eyes and a dumb looking tongue hanging out of its mouth. "I know it isn't much but I thought-"

"No! You can't do this to me!" Sakura said, smacking the bear out of her hands angrily. "I don't want a bear! I want my best friend! My sister!"

Ino/Fuu slowly picked up the bear chuckling but Sakura saw their eyes get glossy. "Sakura please don't make this harder than it has to be…"

"NO! I'm done just letting things happen to me! I am done just watching as stuff gets taken from me! Ino don't leave me!" Sakura shouted angrily. "I just lost my parents, found out I am a freak and you're leaving me too?! What the hell is this?! 'Shit on Sakura month'?!"

Ino/Fuu's expression became sad as she watched Sakura's anger slowly melt into frustration, then heartbreaking sadness. Ino was trying very hard not to cry herself…"I know… it's hard but right now we have to be strong right? I mean we can't just cry like ba-"

Sakura began to wail like a child. Ino, hearing this heart-rending sound, began to cry as well. "Dammit Forehead! I wanted to be cool and…m-mature about this!"

From the corner of her eye Ino/Fuu could see she her face was an angry black that looked very much like a bruise that covered her whole face. Her silent crying screams, the kind you get when your whole body just screams but no sound comes out, broke off into wet sounding wails and with all the angry indignation of a two-year-old that was just hurt in a very personal way. Unlike the two-year-old however, Sakura had a much more justifiable reason for losing her cool in such a way.

"I-I… W-w-won't…L-let you… sniff… g-go!" Sakura said barely understandable sobbing uncontrollably.

Ino however, felt Fuu's chakra running out. Ino was blubbering at this time too. "S-sorry Forehead…*SNIFF!* I'm outta time… take care of yourself… I love you…Sis…"

"I-Ino?! Ino! No…Oh, NONONONONO!" Sakura said voice hitching with panic. "NO! INO! NO! INO DON'T LEAVE ME!"

But Ino/Fuu's body slumped and they fell back with a dull thud.

Sakura stared at the boy who took Ino away in silence for a full minute, eyes wide and full of tears, and finally…cried. She screamed in anguish and the unfairness of it all she pounded on the ground throwing a full-on temper tantrum. All the emotions she had been bottling spilling out in an unholy mixture of sadness, pain, want, hatred, and anger.

 _It wasn't fair!_

 _All she wanted was Ino and they took her!_

 _Couldn't they let her keep just one thing from her old life?_

 _One Person?_

 _They took away her only friend!_

 _How dare they!_

 _She hated them!_

 _She hated all of them!_

 _Why?_

 _Why would she leave?_

 _Why would Ino leave her?_

 _Didn't Ino love her like a sister?_

 _Why was she hurting her like this?_

 _It was her stupid Daddy's fault no Ino's…_

 _Ino shouldn't have listened to him…_

 _Ino's Daddy was being just like her Daddy!_

 _Her Daddy was wrong!_

 _He hurt her!_

 _He betrayed her!_

 _How could he do that to her?_

 _Her Mommy said she was so big and strong!_

 _Now she was dead!_

 _Where was her strength now?_

Why did this keep happening to her?!

It wasn't fair!

Everything she had been holding in for the last month exploded anew. Her hatred, her anger, her sorrow, all of it came out in a big, giant meltdown in the hallway with some unconscious kid…All the while the world kept turning and people kept moving even though, for Sakura, it felt like the world had just ended.

Sakura screamed until she was hoarse and cried until her eyes didn't have any more tears. But there was still the issue of the boy on the floor…

A choice was placed before her and she knew one way or the other she could never turn back once she made her choice.

' _Life isn't fair! Get over it! You were shafted just being my daughter!'_

' _I just want to be strong…'_

 _I don't know if I can..._ A small voice inside her said _. I don't think I'm strong enough. People keep hurting me…so I can't be strong right? Strong people don't get hurt…_

 _I know what will make you feel better…_ the strange, sensual voice called from the dark recesses of her mind. _He looks pretty tasty, doesn't he?_

 _No. I-I can be strong!_ Sakura thought frantically, remembering Anko's warnings. _I can ignore this! I just ate, and I am not hungry!_

 _But your all alone…_ the voice said. _To be strong you need to keep up your strength. You can't just ignore reality… You think; therefore, you are. You are; therefore,_ **YOU EAT** _._

Sakura felt her stomach give a somersault and fill with hungry pain. Finally, all she could think about was how hungry she was. _H-he…He does look pretty tasty…_

Fuu slowly got up, groaning as he did, and looked confused as Sakura stood over him with dilated eyes.

"You…smell good…" Sakura said with an eerie smile grabbing him and holding him down.

Before the poor boy could pull away she bit down on his arm and began to eat.

To Sakura's alarm however, before she could even get a single bit of his chakra, the seal around her neck glowed purple and suddenly Sakura couldn't breathe.

Fuu looked panicked, and tried to help her, but the closer he got, the more hungry she felt, and the tighter the seal seemed to get around her neck. Finally, her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she passed out making horrible choking noises.

* * *

Anko finally rounded up the rest of her team and wandered on home dead tired. She had to track the other two through several training grounds and also explain the mission in full detail… in direct sunlight on a humid day…. Needless to say, she was exhausted. And that didn't count the total embarrassment she felt over at Kurenai's. Going from asking her about boys one second then revealing she knew what she was… This day just kept getting better and better… All Anko wanted right now was a nice plate of Dango and a nice _cold_ shower.

What she came home to however the scene she found was extremely alarming. The lights were off and there was the sound of soft sobs coming from the kitchen.

"Sakura?!" Anko shouted, following the crying to the correct room.

She found Sakura curled up in a ball. Looking up Sakura saw Anko and Sakura's heart broke all over again.

"Don't come near me! I'm a monster!" Sakura wailed, new tears coming to her eyes. "I can't do this anymore!"

Anko rushed over to help but Sakura screamed in fear at her and brandished a knife at her making Anko hesitate. What the hell-

"Stay away from me! I'm just a monster! I-Ino was right! I am just going to hurt people! Why am I alive?!" Sakura said with a crazed look in her eyes. "Just a monster…STAY AWAY FROM ME! GO AWAY BEFORE I HURT YOU TOO!"

Anko stared into the eyes of a severely broken person. No… at this point she was more like a wounded animal. Anko used the _Body Flicker_ to appear behind her, charge in, and in a swift chop, knock the knife out of her hands. Sakura spun and stared at her bewildered, before Anko pulled her into a hug. Sakura was frozen in place for a minute as she processed what had happened and then slowly, ever so slowly, began to break down into hoarse sobs, her tears wetting the shirt and wailing like a child as she clung to Anko like a lifeline. Finally, Anko pulled out of the hug and held her in place with her hands-on Sakura's shoulders.

"Sakura." Anko said seriously, causing Sakura to recoil like she had been slapped. "What happened?"

Sakura whimpered some, but eventually turned her neck just so, in a quick motion to indicate to the seal around her neck. Anko, understanding, sighed. "You tried to drain someone, and the seal activated… Well, I am glad the seal works… and that it didn't kill you… that was pretty scary huh? Well… I am supposed to report any time something like this happens, so this incident will probably come up in my report. I'll hold my disappointment in you for now, just until I know the full circumstances. Fair?"

Sakura just nodded numbly as fear for the boy she had nearly drained re-entered her mind. Sakura felt like her life was over. It probably was…

* * *

Ino woke up in the hospital wing of the academy. They told her she had passed out in the girl's bathroom and that she would be fine. Still… she was found on a toilet, thankfully by a teacher but it was still embarrassing…

Ino sighed. She would get over it… What she wouldn't get over quickly was…

Tears began to drip from her face.

 _Spirits dammit, Forehead_! Ino thought as she remembered Sakura's silent screams of anguish. The blackness of her face and the way her whole body went ridged against her own… Was it really worth it? Ino knew Sakura was over reacting but was it worth it to hurt her friend _that badly_? Ino had felt uncomfortable with the whole deal simply because she knew that Sakura was probably hurting _way_ more than she let on.

But, her daddy was only doing what he needed to, to protect her, right? He was just being careful with his little girl is all, right?

Ino wasn't too sure… She wasn't too sure about anything anymore. She waited in bed until she saw Fuu's signal. She really owed her cousin a favor. Being able to say goodbye might have hurt worse up front but it was less painful than your friend just up and not talking to you, stop hanging out with you without knowing the reason, and wondering what you did that made them hate you…

Right?

* * *

Shikaku sighed and poured himself another drink as Inoichi drank himself into a thoughtless stupor. Fuu had apparently gone missing only to turn up again later on that afternoon… he apparently got attacked by Sakura but was fine overall. Just some chakra exhaustion. Inoichi however, jumped the gun and assumed the worst right away, getting himself stone drunk. When they found out that Fuu was okay, they ended up getting Choza involved and had a regular old drinking party. Still, that shit from the night before was some heavy stuff.

Tellin' Ino it wasn't safe for her to hang with Sakura was a drag. The hurt look in Inoichi's eyes told them how well that worked. But at least she was away from Sakura… if Sakura really did attack someone than it was probably for the best, but even still, Shikaku had mixed feelings on the subject. On one hand, he knew how terrifying it was, but on the other… he was uncomfortably reminded of the situation of a certain spiky haired blonde that they had all fought about before.

Choza had lost his first wife and father during the fox attack and nearly lost Chouji, due to the nursery getting demolished by one of its massive steps. It was a miracle the boy made it out alive and to this day he still bore some scars on his back from where the rubble had injured the poor boy… His wife didn't make it and his father died buying time for the Fourth to show up…

The rest of the village took even heavier losses… they nearly lost everyone and everything they had fought and shed so much blood for in a single night. If the Fourth hadn't come and pulled that miracle…

He didn't even want to think about it…

Choza had been a wreck afterward and had honestly contemplated suicide, but decided to live for his boy Chouji and for the bond they shared as team mates. It had hurt and scared Shikaku to see his friend in so much pain…He was just glad he had been able to prevent…something that Choza would regret later on…not everyone was so lucky…

Choza didn't have it easy though. Apparently, the night terror, paranoia, and depression hadn't gone away. Even on the best of nights Choza would talk in his sleep when they were camped out on missions together, weeping and telling his deceased wife and his father he was sorry he hadn't been big enough, brave enough, or strong enough to protect them…

No…Shikaku didn't blame Choza's hatred of the boy, even if Shikaku felt like it was undeserved… he could understand where it was coming from… But seriously, what parent wouldn't be at least apprehensive knowing what the boy contained? Could they really forget the terror of that night? Watch without condemnation or even worry that the awful thing the poor boy contained wouldn't break free at some point? No… Shikaku understood why people hated the boy… he just didn't agree…

Choza had never harmed the kid, even stuck up for him when the other villagers were bullying him, honestly ANBU would strike down _anyone_ for messing with the kid, clan head or no, so the kid never got hit or beat up much by the adults, it was just people like Choza, who had lost so much that night, honestly couldn't tolerate the brat's presence and if he was around, they would just leave glaring rather than stick around.

Shikaku was kind to the boy, but not overly so and Inoichi was undecided. Perhaps Shikaku just had a soft spot for children… Anyways, the new situation was bringing up the same old argument. If Sakura was too dangerous for Ino to hang around, then was Chouji not safe around her as well? If Sakura was too dangerous for Ino to hang around, then why was it okay for their children to hang around Naruto?

Shikaku hated this kind of argument, but usually just swallowed his pride and did what he knew was right. Inoichi and Choza on the other hand were protective to a fault and these arguments had nearly ended their friendships a few times before. Shikaku just couldn't bring himself to believe the kids meant to hurt anyone or were even planning on it and Choza just couldn't put it past his fear. He thought Inoichi was going to be the mediator but now he was in the same camp as Choza. Sakura, and by the same logic, Naruto were not allowed to hang out with their kids because they were too dangerous.

Shikaku sighed. What a drag.

* * *

Dr. Yakushi was in a mood that afternoon. Apparently, he hadn't slept for the last six days and was running on will power and sugar filled espresso.

"Well… the seal worked like it should. 476 is healthy and capable of service. Though my recommendation is to avoid getting to hungry and attacking everyone in the first place…" Dr. Yakushi said after examining Sakura thoroughly. "Even my assurances are enough to stop mob violence… No… 476 will just have to be home taught for now. I'll talk with the Hokage into getting them a tutor and a responsible therapist. To answer your question K186-B, I can watch 476 here at the hospital until you complete your mission. Next time however, please get a baby sitter… By the way I have a few suggestions I'd like to run by you two… but perhaps it can wait until our next checkup a week from now…" Dr. Yakushi said reading the room before leaving with a tired sigh.

Dr. Yakushi sulked out of the room leaving Anko and Sakura alone. Sakura felt cold, numb even. She couldn't believe what had happened. She couldn't believe what she _was_ … Anko looked at her now like she was disappointed in her and to Sakura's alarm, that meant something to her, even though she had only known the woman a week. To her surprise however, Anko didn't condemn her.

"Do you hate me now?" Sakura choked out, her voice still feeling hoarse from her prior screaming. Her chakra was low, and she hadn't eaten yet, so her healing hadn't fixed that part up…

Anko looked at her a moment before walking towards her. A forced calm on her features. Sakura flinched away as she walked up to Sakura, and put her hand on her lips feeding her while she spoke. Sakura was flooded with the sweet sensation of icy-hot tingles that silenced her hunger and made her throat start to heal and eyes dilated completely, breathing becoming heavy as she devoured her 'food'.

"No…" Anko said softly. "Even after this. I can't. I made you what you are, and I will accept the consequences of my actions... I will however need to punish you for this. Do you understand?"

Sakura felt a dizzy contentment from all the chakra she ate. As she processed what she heard Sakura's face turned cold but nodded.

"I will be going on a mission. It will take about three weeks to complete. During the time I am gone, if you need to feed, Dr. Yakushi has volunteered to help feed you. While I am away you are not allowed to train but will stay in your bed and catch up on theory." Anko said and Sakura remained silent. Anko sighed.

"You have gone through a lot in the last month…" Anko said slowly. "A lot in the last few days... I…I understand why you broke down and decided to turn to _… that_ … to make yourself feel better. But there are better ways to handle grief and pain like that."

"Like what?" Sakura said hollowly. "Everything I ever wanted has been taken away…Why am I even here?"

Anko looked away. "Just try to think on the bright side… remember even if you have those urges, you aren't a bad person. You just have different needs than most people. Just like me, Dr. Yakushi and your friend Ino." Anko didn't miss how Sakura's face soured and she seemed to curl up into a ball at the mention of her friend. Anko frowned at that. "However, just like every need, too much can be just that… too much… A good example of this is a person with an eating disorder or a sex addiction. Both urges are necessary for survival, even happiness, but if taken too far they become very difficult habits to break. You need chakra to survive, but there are ways you can get it without attacking someone."

Sakura refused to look at her and once again, remained silent. Anko sighed again. "I have a mission to prepare for… goodnight. See you when I get back okay?"

Sakura nodded mutely and Anko shut the door behind her sadly.

When Anko was gone Sakura stared at the ceiling and one thought dominated her thought processes.

She wished she had never survived those injections…

* * *

The Hokage looked over the incident file and shook his head. The seal deployed so soon? Against a clan member, in Sakura's home? He'd need to speak to Danzo about this boy. If he was one of Danzo's pawns he had caught the man red handed… again. The Hokage trusted his…Rival? Ex-Teammate? Shadow? Ally? Friendly Enemy? He trusted his _Danzo_ to do what was best for Konoha. Danzo had even once tried to assassinate him once. The emphasis is on _tried_. See, the problem with the attempt was only sending two squads after a Kage and several ANBU, who Danzo knew were still not the perfect mindless tools as he had set as an ideal for his soldiers, letting Kakashi know about it prior to it as a 'test of loyalty', and finally had only trained Tenzo for a few years at most. Granted, the boy had Wood Release and he had managed to catch him off guard, but the boy was no First Hokage and certainly no 'God of Shinobi'. No… Danzo had done that whole debacle on his orders. None of the ANBU died or were even injured. Danzo's tools got a test run against full on ANBU and he had gotten a little bit of a challenge. The Hokage had secured the loyalty of Tenzo, Kakashi and by proxy made sure many of the actual assassins that had been plaguing him would leave in fear.

The Hokage turned his attention to Sakura's case file once more. Dr. Yakushi recommended a therapist… Going over the files he found the name of the one he was thinking of. Child and early adolescence psychiatrist specialist with minor in psychology of bloodline users. Perfect.

'Shiki Kurobayashi, formerly Inuzuka'

* * *

 **A/N: Super intense chapter! Can't believe I managed all that! Guess being sick with the flu and not being able to sleep during the night makes for some great writing times!**

 **Stuff I'd like to talk about in an orderly fashion!**

 **-Wait! I don't remember those Dojutsu from Cannon!**

 **-Shin isn't how I remember him either!**

 **-Anko's sexuality**

 **-Kurenai's personality**

 **-Seduction missions**

 **-Ino and her Daddy**

 **-Sakura's breakdown/ hunger/ it getting stopped**

 **-Choza and the rest who survived that fateful night**

 **-A new fighter appears! Guess that OC!**

* * *

 **Dojutsu**

 **So…I kinda made up some Dojutsu… Now I know what you are thinking! 'Great, now we get to see his overpowered main get to pillage these eyeballs and get new super powers on top of their broken healing abilities and chakra absorption! *Sarcasm* Whatever do they do?'**

 **And I don't blame ya! There are some pretty weird Dojutsu powers and some very weird misconceptions about it. So first off lets clear up some misconceptions!**

 ***First off, Dojutsu = Bloodline, is false.**

 **-Strange as it may seem this is true!** **Dojutsu translated pretty nicely to 'Eye Technique'.**

 **Ever wonder how people like the Fourth Raikage and Hokage manage to move so fast and still seem to know where their going despite not having the Sharingan to direct them at high speeds? They have Dojutsu or Eye Techniques.**

 **They can probably make their eyes 'see faster' by training their brain's response time to stimuli and using chakra to enhance the small muscles in their eyes to move more quickly than they would be able to normally.**

 **Another example of this is Kurenai and her eyes. They are actually a 'Genetic Dojutsu' but not a Bloodline Limit. Her red eyes would be an 'eye catch' for Genjutsu which usually requires eye contact to cast. This would be a genetic advantage that Kurenai cashed in on, but not a specific bloodline, though it does seem dominate.**

* * *

 ***Second, Powers of Shin's eyes. Feel free to steal if you want…**

 **-Orange-red eye: Light burst. The eye stores light or chakra in its retina and releases it in a powerful burst. Requires at least 3 sec to charge. Inspiration: Cyclopes (X-men franchise)**

 **-Blue-green eye: Light weight telekinesis. Jiraiya mistakes this eye's ability with the 'Verdant Mountain Gale Technique' which was used by Asuma in a filler arc. The eyes need to come in pairs usually, one to hold the thing aloft and the other to move it. Shin is showing considerable skill with this eye to be able to use it with only one. The other Shin clones work in tandem with each other to do the same effect. Inspiration: Shin Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan (Naruto Franchise)**

 **-Base Sharingan: You guys already know this but Increase perception, minor precognitive abilities, access to perfect short recall, access to eye specific Genjutsu.**

 **-Byakugan: Again, a no brainer but here is a refresher: Increased perception, near 360-degree vision possible not accessible with just one eye, long range vision up to stated 10km radius.**

 **-Katsuryugan: Much less well known, but is still cannon. Officially seen during the Sasuke Hiden novels it is supposed to be a well-known and feared eye, but nobody has mentioned it since the start of cannon… *Frustrated Inhale* Basically, controls blood or liquid with high iron content, shape-shifting on self or others, creation of Blood Bombs where creatures that contain blood are turned into biological explosive devices, and finally very bloodline specific Genjutsu that rival the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan in potency.**

 **Any other ideas for this guy?**

* * *

 **Shin was raised by Orochimaru with the 'Survival of the fittest mentality.' As of this moment he is much younger than the one we see in Boruto.**

 **By like about twenty years.** **We also know he develops obsessive habits… much like Orochimaru…**

 **He is evil and unlike most Naruto villains, totally unapologetic.**

 **Seriously! I loved the guy simply for that!**

 **I was so tired of hearing Sasori's sad back story, made to feel sorry for the guy and then my brain comes back and is like 'Wait… sad childhood or no he still kills people, skins them, mutilates their bodies and then uses them as _literal_ meat puppets.' **

**Or Kisame, who we love in fanfiction, but honestly who remembers this line: 'That's quite some chakra you got there… Maybe I should cut off an arm _and_ a leg to make sure he doesn't get away…'**

 **That is more or less why Shin is in here. I need a cruel sadistic bastard with an unhealthy obsession with ocular trauma, but who people like anyways because he made them feel something.**

 **Not pity or sympathy but honest to goodness fear for their characters when fighting him. Think Zabuza back in the beginning or Orochimaru freaking us out as kids. That is the kind of 'Oh SHIT' terror I want to invoke… Hopefully I'm on the right track… Not bad for first time writing a full-on action scene eh?**

* * *

 **Anko's Asexual (Cake and rearranging the sock drawer is higher on the list than sex) till I say so.**

 **She might get a paring later on, but I do try to keep ages concise.**

 **Who knew Anko was 24 when introduced and Kurenai was 27?**

 **This scene is a set up for other shit later on.**

 **Drama and stuff.**

 **I figured you guys needed a laugh before all the serious stuff dropped.**

 **Sorry if I disappointed and BTW though I put it in as a joke I am not dissing the LGBT people out there. You do you.**

 **This was more or less done to create conflict for a proceeding chapter.**

* * *

 **Kurenai is a bitch like Anko thinks she is but she is also a 'Caring Big Sister' type.**

 **All I can say is… I plead the fifth?**

 **She is a mega bitch because her favored form of combat is mind raping her foes into submission or until she guts them like a fish while they relive their worst nightmares.**

 **What part about this doesn't say manipulative, cold-hearted, bitch?**

 **But she is like way nice to Hinata and is totally ready to be a mom and skip out on fighting for the rest of Shippuden as soon as she finds out she is pregnant…**

 **Like I normally say: 'Meh. People are complicated.' Or 'Why not both?'**

* * *

 **Seduction missions are a thing, but they aren't all about sex. I went through this all ready, but it bears repeating since some of the missions I have planned for _14-16-year-old girls_ would be labeled as Seduction missions and I don't need the FBI showing up at my door. I am also not saying that the sexy stuff _doesn't_ happen… I am just saying it would be done by consenting adults over the age of like 21… off screen probably…**

* * *

 **Ino is different from Sakura in two ways.**

 **She is confident in her own abilities and has the nerve to carry them out.**

 **She has explicit trust in her parents at this stage and takes their words as gospel.**

 **These combined with Inoichi's paranoia = bad news for Ino x Sakura friendship ship.**

 **Meh. It will either turn into a redemption/reconciliation arc or another heartbreak/loss/redemption arc for the two of them. I don't know. I let the characters drive…**

* * *

 **Sakura's breakdown was a long time coming. I have been having a little voice in the back of my head saying 'this is not how little kids act' so I would either rewrite the scene or I would just leave it in there thinking 'Meh. Nobody'll notice.' Or 'Ninja kids mature faster. They can take it…'. This is however a story of a little girl who ends up wanting to be a hero while fighting off her demons.**

 **She needs some demons.**

 **Granted, all this shit has literally been 'shit on Sakura month' in her world. One after the other go bad and she is trying to be brave or what she feels is strong, but she doesn't think she can do it anymore. I will say this is the last of what my brother calls 'Sakura abuse' except injuries for a while and of course her literal demon in the shadows.**

 **Inner plays an interesting roll in cannon. It tells us Sakura's inner most thoughts in an effort to make the character more relatable, but many people found her offensive or annoying or useless and Inner went down with her. Here Inner plays the 'Rize', 'Little Red Demon' or 'Stien's madness', 'Hell Hound' and in some respects 'Lucy' characters, from Tokyo Ghoul, Soul Eater, Berzerk, and Elvin Lied respectively.**

 **Inner is supposed to represent what Sakura would do without inhibitions or limitations. No social conditioning, no innate morality, just her drive to feed. It will be something Sakura always needs to keep back or there will be a consequence.**

 **The Demon choker is a way to stop a consequence before it even starts. The choker has some down sides. During a fight she could accidently trigger it and choke herself. She is also restricted in her abilities as the choker restrains some of her chakra and closes the window of her being able to heal mid battle except for allies sacrificing their chakra to activate her auto heal.**

 **…The awkward moment when you realize you nerfed your character…**

* * *

 **Choza didn't have much of an impact on the story. Sorry. So, I changed his backstory to something more relatable and strangely tragic. It always bugged me how in cannon and especially in fanfiction people write 'the mob of angry villagers' chasing Naruto or hating Naruto because of stuff. I'm not saying that other story writers are wrong. I just believe that the world would be a lot like the real one. Everyone's got their own twist on the story. It's all a matter of perspective.**

 **It is just, nobody remembers the people who died against the fox except Kushina and Minato. But the truth is … Nah. WAY more people died than just those two. In my fic something similar to 9/11 in scale happened to Konoha. People were scared, loved ones died, some people have PTSD others, others…couldn't stand to live in the same world.**

 **It was dark and a little tragic to put in, but I think it humanizes the villagers even more than Kishimoto tried to humanize Itachi or Obito…**

* * *

 **Who's that OC! Okay, stepping right up, we have a position for Sakura's psychiatrist when she is eight to nine years old. This means alive in cannon around this time, Male, older than say 18, would make sense they were qualified for something like this, and a leaf village citizen. Oh! He is also the writer of the first letter to Jiraiya in the last chapter, so he has some use as a spy as well. Let me know who you think it is in the Reviews!**

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading and supporting this story. I honestly don't know think I would be doing nearly as well without such awesome people favoriting, reviewing, and just plain reading. It really means a lot o me. Thank you again!**


	14. Sakura Haruno is a monster

Chapter 14: Sakura Haruno is a Monster

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A/N: Just want to give a shout out to Nanami for complimenting my work! Thanks! Suzulu4Moe… please get your mind out of the gutter… *Author coughs because they feel they are just as bad*

As always Please Read and Review! Full Author's Note at the bottom is skip-able and not required reading just give it a gander if you didn't understand something! Thank you all so much for reading my story!

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The following is a fan-based parody. Naruto, Naruto: Shippuden, and Baruto: Next Generations, is owned by Masashi Kishimoto, Weekly Shonen Jump! magazine, Studio Peridot, and Licensed to Madman Entertainment, Manga Entertainment, and I believe TXN (TV Tokyo). Please support the official release…

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Oh, and I specifically do not own Dr. Yakushi who is a version of L from the Death Note franchise, Sailor Luna who is a nod to Sailor Moon, um… I think that's it… um…yeah…

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'Is this thing on? Huh… what a strange device… anyways I appear to be in Suna, near the Loran, the Land of Sky… If I can just access the Dragon Vein, I should be able to return to the time before it became ruins by absorbing the Fourth Hokage's sealing formula… Let's hope this works…'

-Audiocassette #4 found at the epicenter of a large crater. The Abnormal's Report Section B.

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Sakura felt cold… numb… Anko was gone and with her the last person she even sort of cared about. It didn't feel nice being numb… It didn't hurt- well it did… just not in the super intense way that she had felt before… No… this was its own kind of hurt…

Sakura was lost in thought a while. Two full days to be exact. She barely ate or even moved as she thought and reviewed her life… all eight, nearly nine years of it…

The conclusion: Sakura hated herself for being a stupid, whiny, possibly evil, crybaby.

She hated her hunger and her insane amount of sheer stupidity.

Of course, Ino couldn't hang out with her! If Sakura had been in her Daddy's shoes, then she would probably say the same thing!

She hated how she embarrassed herself in front of her friend, probably hurt her feelings too. She lost her cool. She hurt her friend, even more than she would have, just saying goodbye…

The reason? Was it over something important? No. Sakura hurt her friend's feelings because she was selfish and wanted someone to be with her.

How could she hurt her friend like that? Sakura massaged her aching head. She had done so much crying that her healing factor was having a hard time keeping her eyes healthy.

Ino had gone through so much trouble trying to say goodbye and how did Sakura respond? Whining like a child having her teddy bear taken away… she was so immature…

Did she really think she was the only one suffering?

Ino had half her face burnt off and Anko… Sakura didn't even know what Anko went through, but she had a sneaking suspicion she really, really didn't want to know…

Spirits she hated herself right now…

She hated the fact that the last thing Ino saw of her was her being a whiny brat! She hated it!

She hated that she broke Anko's trust! She hated that she could see fear and disappointment in her eyes!

Why couldn't she have been cool like Ino? Sakura kept wondering for what seemed like the millionth time.

If she had then… she could have… let her friend leave without extra pain…? Maybe that's it…

She just had to go and muck it up, didn't she?

'Ino! No! Don't leave me!'. The anguished cry kept replaying in her ears making her wince in sheer embarrassment. Her mother had taught her better…

If Sakura hadn't been such a…a…'child' then she and Ino could still probably still see each other at school and hang out at recess. But no… Sakura just had to go on to do the single most stupid, most idiotic braindead thing ever! She went beyond going full Naruto!

A wave of sarcasm washed over her. 'Hey! I feel really sad, so imma eat dis bitch!' Really?! Oh, gee whiz! Oh, wow! That sounds like a great idea! Let's just do the one thing that will get people suspicious of you and just prove Ino's Daddy right! Sakura felt like if she had just behaved, maybe in a few months Ino's Daddy would come to see she wasn't so bad… but no. She just had to mess that up too.

She was hurting people around her like a monster would.

Fuu…he was just trying to help… and she tried to… s-she almost… k-killed h-hi- Spirits! Anko must regret taking her in now…

Sakura kept ruminating and regretting her life choices as she waited in the hospital room… Oh yeah… she was technically under house arrest and awaiting judgment from the Hokage for attacking one of his ninjas. Honestly… Sakura was starting to wonder if being put out of her misery would be a blessing in disguise…

Maybe they could put her in a high-security prison in one of the solitary confinement cells… but Sakura knew she wasn't that lucky. Not lately anyway.

Dr. Yakushi along with the Hokage walked in and Sakura put up her mask. She knew someone as skilled as the Hokage could see right through it… but it made her feel more in control… and besides, he never called her out on it… so maybe it was just something he expected of her.

"Young Sakura! How are you doing this morning?" The Hokage asked with a jovial smile. "I heard you had a bit of an incident the other day..."

Just thinking about the fact that she very likely would have killed Ino's cousin made feelings of guilt, revulsion, and fear swim through her mind. When she thought about it she just wanted to cry but she held it in. She could cry later. No need to embarrass herself in front of the Hokage too…

"I…Yes sir. I tried to attack one of your shinobi… I am willing to accept the… pu-punishment…" Sakura said managing not to grimace and even try a small smile, but seeing the Hokage's searching expression she dropped the smile quickly.

The Hokage waited a moment before looking down at her. "I have spoken with Fuu. He seemed more worried about you than any kind of attack you may have attempted. You gave him quite the scare when the seal activated, and he had run to get his Uncle for help. I can safely say he will not press charges. Inoichi however… he is rather adamant that you stay away from his family for now. Especially after learning you required a seal to incapacitate you… and today I approved a restraining order. You are not to get within one hundred and fifty feet of Ino or Fuu until you become an adult in the eyes of the village. Then we will put you on probation for a while. Other than that, there is nothing to worry about for now. It was the first offense and your seal did its job. With your permission, however, there are a few more precautions we feel would be appropriate, given the situation at hand."

"Sir?" Sakura asked.

"Sakura… we would like to get you a therapist. Now I know that the general shinobi population are wary about sharing their feelings with anyone but their closet family and friends, and your recent experiences do not lend themselves to trusting others. In light of this I have made arrangements for Dr. Shiki Kurobayashi to give counseling instruction to Ms. Anko to give to you when she gets back. Are you still on good terms with her?"

Sakura looked down. "I don't know… I mean I… I don't know."

"I see…" The Hokage said slowly. "Well, apparently, she is still on good terms with you. She even tried to delay her mission, just so she could spend another day with you after this. Given the nature of the mission however, I am afraid I can't spare her. She is needed in the village and you are as well." The Hokage said patting her on the head. "The other thing is I would like to offer you a tutor. While you are not allowed to attend the academy, for now, you are will be allowed a probation trial later and we would like to get you a tutor to prepare you for that. Your tutor is someone I hope to give a Genin team in the future and I believe you would be a better head start than stationing him to teach at the academy. He would be new to teaching but if I know him he will take to it like a fish to water. Finally, I have decided to grant you permission to use your powers in public. Your blood's color, while strange is easily explained as an oxygen deficiency.

"Your healing can be explained with your chakra absorption. We are mainly worried about your ability to control your gifts for now. You will be a pariah, but you will not be alone. We do allow those with bugs crawling through their bodies and young men with the ability to see through walls and clothing in our village, so you will fit in as well. While others may reject you for the stigma of your gifts, I know you will be able to make friends anyway and even make lasting bonds as well."

Sakura was still numb. The Hokage however, seemed to get that she needed time to assimilate his words, so with that, The Hokage got up to leave.

He turned to Dr. Yakushi. "I know you are impatient but there are some things that come first, but do as you will. You know I trust your judgment."

"Thank you sir." Dr. Yakushi muttered before stepping up to Sakura's hunched over form.

"That position is terrible for your back…" Dr. Yakushi said in his own slouched standing position.

Sakura took a deep breath and let it go. "What do you need Dr. Yakushi?"

Dr. Yakushi went straight to the point. "I'd like to give you a physical."

Sakura flushed and nodded her consent. With that Dr. Yakushi went to work. He checked her heart and lungs, her pulse, and ears but was brought up short by her eye exam.

"Have you noticed a change in your vision lately?" He asked shining a bright light in her eyes. She yelped but did her best to stare off to the side so he could see what was looking for. "That looked like it hurt. On a scale of one to ten, how bad would you rate it."

When Dr. Yakushi took the light away she rubbed her eyes. She could feel a headache coming on.

"Um… a six? I feel like my eyes are bruised…" Sakura mumbled. "Is that bad?"

"Hmm? No. Your eyes are just changing is all. You should be feeling a slight headache for the next week or so and other adjustment issues." Dr. Yakushi said dismissively. "Have you noticed any other abnormalities besides your skin turning whiter?"

Sakura looked down at her splotchy skin. It was almost totally white now. Only a few splotches of color remained and even that was swiftly brightening until she was the harsh white color of bleached paper.

"Um… my mouth kinda hurts…" Sakura said. Dr. Yakushi immediately had a tongue compress and light in her mouth. Sakura's eyes narrowed in irritation as she was given an impromptu oral exam.

"Curious… Well, you may experience some pain in your gums for the next couple of weeks as well… and probably your jaw… and your tongue might become an issue…"

Sakura's eyes snapped up with fear. "What's going on with me?!"

Dr. Yakushi stared at her like she was a particularly interesting bug. "You are changing is all. You are stable, but you will still experience the changes brought on by growing up with the genetics you do. Over the next couple of years, we may need to do some corrective surgeries, some hormone and gene therapy along the road probably would be necessary, but all in all, you will still be serviceable. To reduce costs, however, I may have my son do the surgeries. He needs the practice… and you are rather durable so if he makes a mistake, I will correct itself rather quickly… on second thought that might be an issue…hmm…"

"W-what kind of surgeries? Gene therapy? What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, I can't take away your abilities if that is what your thinking." Dr. Yakushi said. "The most I might be able to tweak the genes a little so you can go a little longer without eating, but not without completely destabilizing your genetic structure and risking your death by destruction from the genetic level. No, I mean some corrective operations. Your healing ability namely and the genes associated with it will cause deformations as you reach puberty. I would like to know if you think it would be acceptable to undergo one more round of gene therapy and maybe a minor surgery or two to see if we can't mitigate some of these changes."

Sakura stared at him again.

"What kind of deformations?" Sakura asked in a quiet voice.

"The genetic kind. Shark teeth from your Kiri ancestors, dwarfism or giantism from yet another, albinism possibly, gills, horns, and possibly scales… You see, when I was repairing your DNA, all of your genes, including the recessive ones, needed to be activated and called upon to repair the damage. I believe this is the reason you have abilities you do now…" Dr. Yakushi said tapering off seeing her confusion. He sighed. "Here. If you have any questions about the terms used or my shorthand just ask, and I will give you the most dumbed down answer I can."

Dr. Yakushi sighed and handed her a clipboard with her genetic papers on it. Sakura didn't understand many of the words, but she was beginning to think there was something seriously wrong with her.

"Why are there so many?" Sakura asked hesitantly handing back the clipboard. "I thought I was stable…"

Dr. Yakushi considered her a moment. "476, you are as stable as you can be. The original intent of the formula was to alter a person so they would be immortal. They needed to fix their biological clock in order to do that… but that is where the first deviance, and possibly the first mistake, was made. You see, in order to bypass this natural death of the cells, the original creator attempted to prolong the life of each cell. By pulling from reptilian and occasionally fish specimens, they were able to isolate the single common trait of practical immortality from the subjects and were able to transfer them into humans. This immortality was not total but close enough.

"As long as the subject was never fatally wounded they could live forever. However, they were trying to do this during a time of war. It is just not possible to get that kind of longevity for long in this world. They did, however, get frighteningly close… they seemed to crack a code in human genetics that would prolong life and cells that could split indefinitely giving them the ability to heal from any wound… However, that healing came at a cost. Chakra. In order to heal from any wound, they needed chakra to activate it. As long as the subject had chakra… they could fight and live forever… a perfect immortal being…

"But the creator, in their obsession with immortality, was not satisfied with this. Chakra can run out in the field. Chakra exhaustion could be fatal. This was unacceptable to the creator. They wanted… no, they needed to get it right. They had to find a way that if the subject was in battle, they could gain more chakra from an outside source… Their soul was too corrupt to handle sage chakra… no that was not the answer… In the end, they used a corrupted specimen, a Guru clansman, to give them perfect battle superiority. They could heal from any wound… immortality off the field… and with their ability to prey upon chakra they were the perfect shinobi killers… and mankind's most perfect predators... An unholy creation… an unstoppable monster able to prey on the weak and live for centuries… 476… Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Sakura's eyes widened at the implication. "A demon…"

Dr. Yakushi actually snorted in derision. "Pfft. Hardly... No 476, I can create things that can give you nightmares for the rest of your life, easily. No, what I am speaking of is the most perfect killing machine to ever walk the face of the earth. 476, I'll be frank with you. When I saw your test results, I was afraid. The Hokage however, has decided you would be more useful alive than dead, so that is the way I'll keep you. But… if it was up to me and me alone… you'd be dead where you stand…" The barest hint of his killing intent slipped through a perfect mask of pure and utter calm.

Sakura trembled as she was reminded that the man standing before her was not her friend. He never was. He was only following orders. Sakura yelped as Dr. Yakushi placed a hand on her head.

"Don't worry. As I said, you are much more useful to the Hokage and the village in general, alive than dead. Also, while your healing ability is frightening to try to deal with in battle, I stand by what I said earlier… You are not immortal, and you never will be. You do not have all the genes necessary to live forever and if I have my way you never will. You will grow old and you will die like the rest of us. There might just be the matter of the several decades you might outlive us by to deal with and you are still just as frail as the rest of us. Humans don't deserve to live forever. But you have a purpose to fulfill in your time allotted. My job is to make sure you fulfill that purpose and keep you here as long as it takes to fulfill that purpose." Dr. Yakushi said, actually giving her a quirky smile… and like that, it dropped off his face. "Now, let's get down to business. I will need to run all these changes by the Hokage and 2K-186-B, your caretaker, however, Konoha Law 102 under subcategory 2 when dealing with minors states that they are able to accept or refuse any treatment that would affect their long-term appearance and functionality as a ninja without the consent of their guardians."

At Sakura's blank stare he sighed. "Normally it would mean that boys could keep their scars without their mothers getting involved or girls could have them removed without calling attention to themselves but lately the Hokage has given jurisdiction that the law could be interpreted in favor of cosmetic treatment or reconstructive surgeries much like the one 477 had. What this means for you however, is that you can receive another gene therapy treatment to treat the disfigurements before they become an issue, even if your guardian doesn't allow it, as long as it can be done without contradicting with Konoha Law 43 under the 'Abnormal's Report', which specifically outlines the use of medical procedures which could be seen as human experimentation. In fact, it was under this clause I was able to save your life. Otherwise, you would have devolved into a writhing mass of flesh and pain before dying of organ failure.

"Now, your genes are trying to devolve into less and less 'natural' shapes but will eventually settle after you reach puberty. You must decide which you will keep as they come, as they could be beneficial, and which you will discard because your body either has no need for them or those that could be problematic. Remember you are basically no longer human, so you can have any combination of these and still be what you call 'normal'. So-"

"So, I'm a monster…" Sakura sniffled beginning to cry. She couldn't take it. Everything was suddenly coming back to her. The whispers of the hospital workers, the way she felt, Ino…

Dr. Yakushi however, was unphased.

"Yes, you are. Don't interrupt me. Now, the forms say-" Dr. Yakushi began saying and Sakura broke down even more. He halted, staring at her before a look of mild annoyance. "Look, if you are going to be like this then perhaps we can save both ourselves some time and cancel."

"How can you say that!? I am a monster! I eat people! I hurt those close to me and-"

Dr. Yakushi slapped her.

Hard.

Sakura was shut up at his sudden change. Gone was the dark but possibly nice doctor. Before her was, as she would later learn, the demon scientist known across the Elemental Ninja villages as "The Necromancer".

He had her pinned with his cold dead stare. Killing intent was present, and Sakura couldn't look away from the cold dark abyss that was his shadowed eyes…

"Grow up." Dr. Yakushi said in an eerie monotone, then without another word turned and walked away.

Sakura was left stunned and staring at the door.

Grow up? She just- HOW?

Frustration filled her mind, causing her to cry even harder.

:

Anko was coming back to the Land of Fire with a very grumpy expression. They didn't find the body. Grass Nin must have gotten to it… She'd need to talk with the Hokage about an espionage mission so they could figure out what was lost and what these guys gained. Worse the dead guy had a family. A wife and a little boy about Sakura's age… She'd need to let them know along with the Chunin Commander Choza that they didn't find anything…

Thinking of Sakura gave Anko a headache. She wasn't sure she was cut out for this anymore... She had already been away longer than she had known the poor girl. If she was going to keep a similar mission schedule to this one, then she wouldn't be there for her as much as she needed… but not doing missions meant no rent money… dammit…

Anko led her team down the rocky path. Hana and Suzume were chatting while Kurenai was looking at her. Anko wanted to disappear. This… this bitch! She finds out one secret and suddenly she assumes that she has the right to be friends with her! AARRGGHH! Anko wanted to scream! She wasn't used to people trying to talk to her! People heard of her association with Orochimaru and thought one of two things, either she was a time bomb waiting to happen since she no longer had her 'master' to control her, or they treated her with a respectful awe for being trained by one such as Orochimaru! If only the latter knew what he was really like…

Kurenai also kept making weirdly phrased questions that sounded like innuendos… Anko couldn't understand what was going on in that woman's head. She hated being around her now. She could feel her stare on her back all the time. Worse than that, however, was just how naïve this chick was. She had no experience. Period.

Kurenai had only ever done short, to medium term seduction missions, the occasional information gathering, and D-ranks. That's it. Granted she was only a Chunin, her skill set was more in line with support, and yeah okay, she was even good enough at Genjutsu to be recommended for Special Jonin… but seriously! Had this woman never been outdoors?! She had never 'gone' in the woods before? Apparently, she had been given her rank after doing a particularly hard mission… in a hotel… she had never even been to the Forest of Death… and she was still a member of a tracking unit Anko was in charge of! Basically, Anko was pissed she had to sit there and explain literally everything to Kurenai, so she didn't slow them all down! …and Kurenai thought she was being friendly!

Needless to say, that when Kurenai had asked if they were there yet she was ready to lose her mind!

"Ms. Yuhi," Anko said with a sugary sweet smile. "We will get there when we get there. I believe it will be in the next five miles or so~!"

Kurenai sighed, glancing to the others in the group. Hana was scouting ahead, i.e. dealing with the hyperactive puppies she was in charge of, while Suzume was bringing up the rear (read: falling behind because she thought she needed to contribute and ended up taking too much on herself, literally, and carrying the enormous scroll carrying the medical supplies.)

"I am just not sure of why I am even on this mission," Kurenai said quietly. "I am a bit out of my comfort zone. Why was I even brought along?"

Why indeed… Anko sighed.

"Look, Yuhi can I speak my mind?" Anko asked. Kurenai looked up surprised then seemed to be thinking to herself.

"Very well ah… Mitirashi…" Kurenai said with an infuriatingly soft smile. She was looking at her like a 'kind older sister' and Anko hated it.

"I don't like you. Not one bit." Anko said bluntly. "I'm not going to coddle you and I…ugh… you know what I am… and I don't need you also looking at me any differently because of it…So stop staring at me. It's weird. That said, I think you are doing pretty… well… for your first time on a tracking team. Good job…"

"Thank you, but I know I am dragging the team down," Kurenai said with a self-deprecating smile. "Though I will say I am happy for the experience. I… I want to one day to lead a Genin team… I want to help people and make up for what I did… being more well rounded would help. Who knows? I might even be in charge of a tracking team…"

Anko didn't know what to say to that. She still thought the bitch was just fishing for compliments. Not having female friends, or friends in general for that matter, she didn't really know how to handle this and decided to go with her default. Lashing out… no… she couldn't do that! Dammit! You know what? Screw it! Burn in the flames of her rage!

"Yuhi, I don't care," Anko said. "I don't care that you killed some little girl and are trying to make restitution for it. I am literally going through the same thing. But that doesn't make you my friend! I don't need your constant 'oh poor me!' because I get enough of that in my own head! I'm a freak and I know it, but I don't need your pity, I don't need your concern, and I certainly don't need your friendship!"

Kurenai did something next that made Anko's brain stop working. She hugged her. Anko's fury and thought process sputtered to a halt.

"It's been really hard for you hasn't it?" Kurenai said still holding her. Anko's face burned in embarrassed fury and she pushed the woman away.

"What the literal hell?!" Anko demanded glancing around at the others and thanked all that was holy that they didn't seem to notice. "Explain or I will get the snakes out!"

Kurenai looked away from her. "Your right. I was much too soon. I was a fool."

"Ten… Nine… Eight…" Anko began counting making hand signs for the Shadow Snake Hands jutsu. Kurenai's eyes narrowed.

"Look Anko, I know you're hurting so I just want to be there for you! Not only that but want to support you in your life choices!" Kurenai said angrily. "I just wanted to help…"

Th-this… This… Bitch! Anko grabbed her by the collar and pulled her in close so she was staring directly into Kurenai's eyes and let the illusion over her own eyes drop. Golden brown eyes with slit pupils met red ones.

"You think I chose to be like this? I have to live with this every single day! Also, your concern is stupid! You think you can fool me trying to be a 'big sister concerned for her little sis' but you don't know me! You don't know the first thing about me and what's worse is that not only do I keep telling you this and you refuse to understand, but you think I can't see through you!" Anko growled and pushed her and turned away. "Look, I'm sorry no one was there for you when Yakumo died from your stupid, stupid decision but I really don't care about your backstory bitch! I don't care that you think I would empathize. My kid is still alive and I'm doing everything in my power to get this right. I don't need to deal with your feel-good bullshit… I just need to get done with this mission, so you can get out of my face and I can go home to my kid."

Kurenai stammered a bit. "Y-you're eyes… an illusion dropped. I know that much… buwhat…how?"

Anko turned to her confused. "I thought you knew that much…y-you…you did… didn't you?"

Anko was stammering as well. Well… this was awkward.

Anko looked to Hana and Suzume. "Gonna take Kurenai to the bathroom! We'll regroup when we're done!"

And with that Anko grabbed Kurenai and pulled her into the bushes.

"Anko what are you-"

"You're about to find out."

Hana and Suzume looked at each other.

"Fifty Ryo that Kurenai comes back with a black eye," Hana said.

"Mm… One-Twenty say that they're making out." Suzume said enjoying the snort and blush Hana gave.

:

After checking what level of clearance Kurenai had Anko gave an extremely watered-down version of what she was. This had to be done. Kurenai specialized in Genjutsu for seduction and info gathering. If Anko didn't give her info she would have just kept digging and probably get herself killed trying to learn something she wasn't supposed to know.

Kurenai was white with shock and a little green too. Someone had experimented on her? The person was dead thankfully but still… Kurenai was not sure how to feel about this. She wasn't disgusted with her. Not at all. But now she understood that Anko hated being the victim. It was a huge wake-up call for herself as well. What would she have done in Anko's place? It was a little mind-blowing meeting someone who had been through worse than herself. Kurenai promised herself that she would never think her own trials were above another's ever again. There were a lot of such self-promises made in Kurenai's mind as they walked to catch up with the others.

"Wait… um… does that mean… you don't… you know… play for the other team?" Kurenai asked hesitantly. Anko was being extremely patient with her as it was. No need to make her angrier… although… Anko was turning an adorable shade of cherry red…

"W-what?! N-no! I-I mean- you actually thought-?" Anko sputtered. That's what she was referring to… the entire time? Anko if possible turned even brighter red. She wanted to die on the spot.

"My, my… someone is rather pure for a 'snake demon'…" Kurenai said slipping into her seduction mission persona. "All I can say is don't knock it until you try it… I personally don't swing that way but many a woman has been sent away happy because of my jutsu…"

Anko was reduced to covering her ears in embarrassment. Kurenai was having too much fun with this. If she ever got a Genin team, she just hoped it had a kunoichi that was just as fun and easy to embarrass as Anko was…

:

It was nightfall by the time the two finally caught up with Hana and Suzume. Anko was exhausted mentally and physically. She could use a nice lukewarm shower right about now. Kurenai, however, kept asking her questions.

"So, you can stretch out your tongue? Have you ever measured how long?" Kurenai asked. "Have you ever-"

"No… I haven't… please stop…" Anko said cutting her off. She was sooo done with this.

Anko was relieved to see the sight of the Fire Temple. It was lit up with a couple bonfires and large torches illuminating the huge iron gates with enormous statues of the patron gods. Anko was more impressed with the doors themselves. They had honest to goodness iron doors. It was said that the Fire Temple was built around the time of Hashirama though the religion was known in the region for generations. Apparently, Hashirama had helped make them a permanent home and the Senju had donated the iron from their spoils. The gates represented the sheer might of the Senju clan as the expensive metal that made up the gates was easily enough to outfit three villages with knives, swords and throwing stars… it was simply majestic…

When they finally made it through the huge iron gates Anko saw someone that made all her energy return in an instant.

"Dirty Old Man!" Anko shouted running up to him and jumped up not caring that she was twenty now and not thirteen anymore. Jiraiya, the closest thing she had to a father caught her and spun her around.

"Hey! I told you not to call me that!" Jiraiya said putting her into a playful headlock and messing up her hair. "Ah well, let me look at ya!"

Jiraiya began to tear up in faux pride. "Sniff… I thought I would never see the day! Little Anko! All grown up! Sniff… And even wearing makeup! So proud…"

Anko blushed, realizing she was still wearing the 'Sakura safe' outfit… she had figured it would be better to go to a foreign village and then a religious center dressed like that than her usual clothes. She kept the jacket though…

"Yeah, yeah you old pervert! Yuck it up while you can! So, you are our VIP? The Hokage could have just told us…" Anko pouted, feeling able to express so much more around him than she had in ages.

"I believe I might be the cause of that…" a creepy voice said from behind her.

Anko spun around snakes at the ready when she came face to face with a man with a flashlight under his face. Anko took this in. He was rather creepy but Anko couldn't help beginning laughing. A grown man! Doing these kinds of tricks! Jiraiya joined in when the man began to look depressed at his inability to scare her.

The man turned off the light and straightened up. He was rather plain but had dark brown, soft-looking hair and warm black eyes. He was also her age and pouting.

"Man… that usually works. I've even gotten the monks before with that face…" the man said cracking an awkward smile.

Jiraiya smirked. "Well, since you're all dressed up, Anko meet Tenzo. He is a Jonin from our village. I am sure you two have a lot in common. Maybe you could both get a bite to eat some time… from what I know both of you are single~!" Jiraiya said with a perverted grin.

Anko's face was on fire. Five minutes after meeting her again for the first time in seven years and the first thing he does is set her up on a blind date! That dirty old man was so getting socks for his birthday!

"Actually, I already have a wife and a four-year-old kid." Tenzo said bluntly with a no-shits-given look on his face. Jiraiya's face fell and Anko looked slack-jawed as well. "I haven't seen them in a while, but I hope to make it up to them with this visit."

"Wait! How old are you again?" Jiraiya demanded.

Tenzo folded his arms and looked away embarrassed. "Well… I don't know exactly but I am about twenty, maybe twenty-two?"

"So, you had a kid at sixteen or seventeen?" Jiraiya asked incredulously.

"Married with a kid yes. I was young and stupid but loved her so I manned up and got hitched when we found out we were having a child. " Tenzo said with a smile. "Little Moegi is going to turn five soon so I bet she's going to be glad her papa came home."

Jiraiya was in tears with the sheer manliness of this man and clapped him on the shoulder. "Good man! Well, at least I have nothing to worry about with Anko, what with not having a boyfriend there is no way she…why are you making that face?"

Anko was suddenly very aware of her shoes. She glanced up and saw a very pale looking Jiraiya and Tenzo was patting him on the back.

"Well… I um… better leave you two alone…" Tenzo said awkwardly leaving to go farther back where Kurenai was having a reunion with someone else.

"Can I talk to you?" Anko said slowly.

Jiraiya ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. "I'm not going to like this am I?"

Anko fidgeted. "Not exactly…"

:

Kurenai had tried to chase down her team leader Anko. The woman had bolted after a tall white-haired man she had seen beyond he gate. Kurenai was about to run after her when she was suddenly stopped by large arms scooping her up and carrying her bridal style. Kurenai slammed a fist into the attacker's face only to do next to no damage. This guy was tough!

"Sup Babe?" A familiar gruff voice said face split in a roguish grin. A warm blush appeared across her cheeks. Before her, was a mountain of a man with long black hair that draped messily over his eyes and stubble marked his chin. He was the son of the Third Hokage, a member of the Twelve Ninja Guardians and… her ex-boyfriend…

"Asuma Sarutobi you fool! Put me down!" Kurenai said and was unceremoniously dropped onto the ground making her shoot an angry look at Asuma. "You are the reason I was sent on this mission?! Why?!"

Kurenai got up and started swing at him. He dodged her effortlessly.

"Haven't lost that feistiness I see," Asuma said with a playful grin and while dodging attacks lit a cigarette. "Apparently Dad thinks you are going to 'convince me' to come back to the village. Sorry that you had to come out all this way just for nothing, but damn did I miss seeing this hot bod, that personality though I could do without…"

Kurenai was so frustrated tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. She tried to form sentences, but she was so frustrated nothing came out making any sense… "You total asshole! You left the village and joined those fat, self-entitled- You left your father, who still hasn't given up on you, for the-the pigs that have done nothing but try to tear down all that-"

"I know…" Asuma said holding still for once and letting Kurenai's fist smack into his face again. Kurenai froze, seeing something in the lazy, self-entitled ass that she never saw before. True regret. He seemed… hollow…

"What happened to you?" Kurenai asked bluntly and extremely confused. This wasn't the wasn't the angry fool-hardy boy she once knew.

Asuma turned away and took a deep dreg from his cigarette. Blowing it out he turned back to her with that million-yard-stare that her father used to get when he had seen too much during the Third Shinobi War.

"Long story short, some shit went down, and the Twelve Ninja Guardians are no more," Asuma said.

Kurenai wanted to be angry, she didn't want to feel pity for him, but since she had that talk with Anko earlier… Kurenai's eyes softened.

"Sorry… that, that happened…" Kurenai said. "It must have been terrible for you."

Asuma looked at her like he hadn't expected that. Kurenai held back a wince. This… had she really hurt him so bad that he was honestly surprised?

"Heh, well… anyway, I heard some crazy stuff from the old pervert over there." Asuma said. "Sounds like you have been busy with the seduction missions."

The tone he said everything he left out. He was trying to rile her up, but Kurenai honestly, she couldn't muster up her usual animosity towards him. Kurenai looked down again.

"I'm sorry…" Kurenai said softly before looking up at Asuma's surprised eyes. "I'm sorry I used my profession to try to hurt you. I'm sorry that I always make things about me and I would like to try again or at least be civil with you."

Asuma's eyes narrowed. "My father didn't get you to say that did he?"

"No. Please… I don't care if you come back to the village or not but please let me make some kind of restitution. I've realized recently that I've been a huge bitch… I just want to make things right…" Kurenai took a deep breath to calm herself. "But I'd understand if you don't want to. If you want nothing to do with me then you don't have to see me again." Kurenai said feeling as if her heart would break.

Asuma was a total ass back when he left. He was angry at his father for not acknowledging him and left the village. Kurenai had tried to get him to stay but he left anyway. Some things were said… on both sides… that pushed them away from each other. She had used her body and her skill in Genjutsu to make other men, and women, happy in an effort to make him jealous and hurt him from afar. She had refused to write back to him… and he didn't write back when Yakumo died and she needed a shoulder to cry on… She had been too hurt and too angry… but since talking with Anko she realized that her hurt and anger were hollow. Anko's problems were like a slap in the face and made her think maybe she had been going about this the wrong way. She… had been selfish. She wanted him to hurt like she had been hurt. She wanted to feel like she was in the right. Anko… she made her come face to face with this part of her that she hated to acknowledge and now she felt like she was drowning in regrets.

Asuma searched her eyes for any falsehoods before shrugging. It was a little stiff. Forced.

"Well… If shit's bad enough that dear old dad sent you to come to get me, then things must be rough. How about when we get back we go get a drink… and talk about it." Asuma said looking away from her.

Kurenai wiped her eyes. "I'd like that…"

:

"And so, she's staying at the hospital until I get back," Anko said sitting on Jiraiya's bed while he stood in the corner.

Jiraiya let out a deep breath. "Gotta say kiddo… you really screwed the pooch on this one… but from the sound of it, you aren't doing too bad. I'm proud of you for manning up and taking the kid in. That takes guts and more than just a big heart. I say you got this kid."

Anko released a breath she didn't know she was holding and stood up and hugged the man. Jiraiya smiled despite the fact he could feel his shirt becoming wet with her tears.

"I'm so scared Jiraiya," Anko admitted softly. "What if I screw this up or worse what if I remember and I can't-"

"Hush," Jiraiya said making her look up. She had dropped the jutsu that disguised her face. She looked so much like her old teacher it hurt him to have to keep the truth from her that Orochimaru was alive and the memories she both sought and avoided were so close but so far away. But better for her to not know than to have her barreling into danger without a second thought.

"You are doing great. I know you would never lead that girl on and I know that if anything you will be able to help her lead a better life. You got nothing to be ashamed of." Jiraiya said.

Anko snuggled closer into Jiraiya's chest. "Thank you."

Jiraiya smiled and rubbed her back. "Any time kiddo."

:

Sakura hated her life. Dr. Yakushi hadn't spoken to her once since the time he slapped her. The Hokage and come by once but only came to check on her. Sakura had told him about what Dr. Yakushi said and he just nodded.

"While I am displeased that he told you so soon and so… bluntly… I won't deny it… You have great potential, to build or to destroy is your choice. We have to make decisions like this all throughout our life." The Hokage said. Sakura just nodded still looking down. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Whatever you are, just do your best."

Sakura had been reflecting on those words for the last three weeks. Her birthday had come and passed without celebration or fanfare. She was nine now. She had three years and then she would be a Kunoichi.

In a moment of clarity, Sakura made a decision.

It wasn't a good one, but it wasn't a bad one either.

She would be the best monster this world had ever seen, and she would ally herself to the Leaf.

Removing the burden of restraint, the burden of self-decision… it made her feel better.

She had one purpose. Being a monster to destroy her enemies and obey orders.

If she did something reprehensible, it wouldn't be her fault but the village's for calling upon her.

She was a monster and she could now accept that fact.

It wasn't her fault.

It wasn't anyone's fault.

It was just the way that things were, and she was going to be the best, morals be damned.

Sakura walked into Dr. Yakushi's office.

"What kind of treatments were you thinking?"

:

One year ago:

A tall man with white hair walked up to the Uzumaki clan mask storage temple with his partner Shin.

Shin found the mask rather quickly with his eyes. A clone of his stepped forward and performed the ritual. Suddenly, a miasma of horribly dark chakra filled the room beginning to take the shape of a black fox. Acting quickly the man sealed away the beast into the arm of an unconscious boy he brought. If Shin could sacrifice his son… then for the good of the group, he could too.

"I'm sorry… Sora…"

:

A/N: The Author's Note below is super long and totally skippable! It has its own table of contents and is like 3,000 words! Try looking up what you want to know and just reading that if you don't have a lot of time!

Cool?

Cool.

Let's rock and roll!

:

A/N: Things I would like to talk about in an orderly fashion!

-Sakura having some serious angst… dude she is like nine… what the-?

-More changes? What the hell man?

-Dr. Yakushi's moral compass or lack thereof.

-Anko and the ANGST… why she is probably different than you have read in other stories.

-Tenzo-Yamato-whatever-your-name-is! Yeah you! What the hell man?!

-Kurenai and Asuma: A little bit more context to the awkward ex-lover's quarrel.

-Sakura's choice: Still a hero? Dude the title just said-! Why are you doing this?

-Sora! Wait-what? Why is he here? I thought this shit was canon only?

-Bad guys? Fights? Isn't this Naruto? Where's my Shonen?

:

*Angsty Little Sakura*

'And at that moment Sakura knew she had messed up…'

That pretty much describes that scene.

Sakura is a little emo in the making, but logically there is always an easier way out of stuff. I won't go over the arguments again, but she realized that if she had done literally anything else but what she did, she and Ino could have still been friends without too much conflict. It's sad but it needed to happen. Sakura will never grow as a character if she never takes responsibility for her actions. Or appreciates the fact that everyone makes mistakes.

Now some of you might complain Sakura is being too hard on herself. I will admit that I suck at writing children realistically and I hope nobody minds too much. People just seem more mature for their age in the Naruto universe, so my mind age bumps them about four to five years and writes them from that perspective. From my perspective and hopefully from Sakura's she is mentally much older than her physical age.

This is partly due to Japanese culture leaking through. Western people tend to think children should be kept innocent and free from responsibility until their teen years. Eastern people tend to raise their children as mini-adults and expect them to learn to take responsibility for their actions and consider the well-being of the group from a young age. There is some overlap in thinking and there are some parents that can be much more lax or much more strict, but the point is Sakura was raised like how I described the Eastern people.

She was a latchkey kid, had a no-nonsense mother and a father who didn't have the money to really spoil her, so she ended up growing up quicker. Now she is still a child dealing with child emotions but… she also knows she could have done better. She is just beating herself up about it…

:

*Sakura's evolution*

Okay, so this one is an easy one… Sakura is evolving. That is the simplest way to put it.

Basically, her body is still changing. The final transformation will look a bit off, but she will still keep the 'Sakura' look. You could say this is actually a bit of a statement. Sakura, while beautiful in her own right, will never be 'typically beautiful'. I guess you could say it is a statement piece on 'Sakura' fanfiction as a whole. Many fanfictions try to make her beautiful and overpowered. I am saying there is a cost to power and Sakura is going to pay it. As misleading of a statement as that sounds…

Her outer appearance is also a pretty good analogy for her inner self. At first, she didn't really have an 'Inner' but slowly became whiter until she was as white her inner self is depicted in the show. Now her inner self is a demon hell-bent on absorbing chakra. She has become the monster she feared most.

What is next?

Who knows?

Her duality will be a running thing and her changes will not happen all at once. Ultimately the finalized look will be presented in the next chapter. Until then, have fun imaging it?

:

*Dr. Yakushi and morals.*

Dr. Yakushi doesn't care about morals but about rules. If he can do it according to the rules, then he feels he is in the right. It is a bit twisted, but I think it is a good contrast to the actual L from Death Note as that L doesn't give a hoot about laws or rules but focuses on bringing justice to those who break laws, even if he ends up breaking them himself.

Dr. Yakushi doesn't believe in justice, feeling the subject to be trite in a world where one can literally kill you with a glance, but believes in laws that are absolute, yet bendable. The shift in his character is slight but there all the same. He is not above using his influence to find a loophole in performing corrective surgeries as long as he has the paperwork done and he can do it with the consent of the patient.

Even if the patient is a child without the permission of their guardian. You could say his D&D alignment would be Lawful Neutral if that means anything to you…

He will do whatever is asked of him as long as it follows the laws and rules in his mind. He takes no pleasure from torture or murder but has no moral qualms performing such things as the ends justify the means as long as the ends are just. It is a different take on the whole concept of a mad scientist/doctor.

I guess you could say that he sees Sakura as a weapon first, person second, and is trying to make her the best she can be in whatever aspect needs fixing. The major question is… given the circumstances… is he wrong to think that?

:

*Anko's angst.*

Anko is not a people person. Gone is regular fanfiction's sadistic pervert, friendly with everyone but shunned by the public and hello the… human?

This Anko has wants, needs, and tends to lash out when she doesn't know what to do. Anko is one of the hardest characters for me to write for besides Sakura and Dr. Yakushi. She has clear beliefs but also has conflicting viewpoints. Out of the trio of hardest viewpoints, Anko is the most human but also the most unpredictable.

Her angst is centered around her ability to relate to people and see both of their hypocrisy. Anko just has a hard time accepting her own faults… just like Kurenai.

Anko calls herself a freak but will tell Sakura she isn't one.

Anko will be understanding to Sakura in her self-accusations but will condemn Kurenai.

Anko doesn't need the approval and support of Kurenai or even her team, but she is fine pouring her heart out to Jiraiya and even fish for compliments.

This is a human. A walking set of contradictions and paradoxes wrapped in a sense of self entitlement that few ever break free of completely.

This Anko has a few issues with trying to take on all the burden for things she feels responsible for but vehemently rejects any kind of support from an outside source as she feels it is her burden to bare.

Most of this was taught to her by or as a result of Orochimaru but a good bit is her natural response to dealing with problems. In canon, she would ditch her team often to fight alone so no one but herself gets hurt. She will also throw her life away for the causes she deems a worthy sacrifice.

I will admit that these are all just excuses. I really don't know how to write her all that well so bear with me.

:

Tenzo/ Yamato

So… minor spoilers for Boruto…

Moegi, the random child following Konohamaru around, yeah her… that girl… she has wood style…. like… Hashirama, God of Shinobi, Tamer of the Nine Tailed Beasts, Slayer of Madara, The First Hokage's jutsu…

What the literal hell?! Where did this sassy child get such a jutsu!? This is like Kiba suddenly getting The Rinnegan level bullshit right here…

So, to fix this I decided to make her be Yamato's child and be done with it. In the early Naruto and also in Shippuden her eyes are coal black and she has the same shaped face so whatever… but the age…

Yamato would be around 16 when he got his cherry popped and I was in a bind. I ended up just going for it. This is Naruto land after all. All the fanfiction says that kids can have sexual relationships by the age of freaking ten! *nervous laughter… sickos…*

Serious time though. I feel pretty strongly that Yamato would have had a girlfriend by this point. I also feel he is the type to man up and marry the girl. I also believe he is a naïve virgin that didn't know how stuff worked because Danzo and as soon as he got interested in a girl for the first time in his life would end up making a ton of mistakes, going too far, and get her pregnant.

So Moegi gets a named papa!

A cool papa that gives her wood style like the First Hokage… out of nowhere…

*sigh…*

I need a Coke…

:

*Kurenai and Asuma.*

So, I was thinking (a dangerous hobby I know), Young Asuma would pretty much be like how Boruto is portrayed so, I went with that. Kurenai could even be his version of Sarada and… well… things just sorta happened. Not many people consider the weight of Asuma's actions in canon as there is a whole lot of other crazy sad backstories out there, but Asuma has had a pretty rough life thus far.

Asuma grew up wanting his father to acknowledge his skills and spend time with him. His father, however, was a military dictator in the middle of a world war. You take a guess as to what happened. Anyways the Sora arc happened. He has just fought and killed six of his friends, the only people that seemed to acknowledge his skills and not compare him to the Hokage. Four on his side also died in the conflict. He has had a year or two to recover but he is still pretty torn up about it. This kid, who grew up resenting his father, was now defending him from people that thought just like he used to… But he fought them because it was the right thing to do and not for his father's sake. Now his ex-lover, who he left behind in the village and has scorned him for the last three years, is apologizing to him. His father is trying to invite him back home. Even after all that was said in private and leaving the village that his father had sacrificed blood, sweat, tears, and the lives of many a friend for.

Kurenai grew up having a crush on Asuma, which evolved to young love when they were teenagers. When he turned on her by leaving the ninja program, which was right after the Nine-tails attack and the Cloud Incident, he left her high and dry during peacetime. Kurenai took that as Asuma taking all her love and sacrifices for him and throwing them back in her face. She tried to talk him out of it, but he refused to listen and rejected her over and over again.

He pretty much pulled a Sasuke… except with less real treason…

Kurenai waited for him but when he never came back, she felt hurt. She felt angry. She retaliated by going into seduction missions, knowing full well he still had at least some feelings for her, trying to make him jealous…

But he never responded. When something did happen to affect her in a huge way, Yakumo's death, she didn't have anyone else to turn to and became even more bitter at him for leaving.

Now, however, she realized she cannot stand to be in the wrong.

She cannot stand to feel pity for the man who scorned her love even if he had changed.

She was all that she didn't like in others personified.

Anko was her mirror and also her role model. Anko had also been hurt by someone close to her in a way Kurenai could never understand, but there she was. She wasn't bitter. Angry, yes, but not as bitter or manipulative as she was. It was a wake-up call and a chance for her to change.

She took it and might regret it later.

Kurenai is not perfect. She will butcher this and Asuma is still a bit antagonistic towards her, so she will get defensive. Violently so. There is a lot of pain there, but maybe the alcohol will keep them both honest eh?

Again, I am sorry as there is a lot of backstory. I didn't do too good a job explaining it. I kind of take for granted how many people watch the show… so… sorry.

:

*Sakura's choice*.

This was honestly one of the hardest things I have ever had to write. I am no good at writing children and Sakura is… okay, I will be super frank so please excuse my generalizations…

Sakura in canon is a blank slate of uselessness. She has no redeeming qualities other than her supposed fighting skills. Canon Sakura is basically the default ship for Sasuke and honestly…that is okay.

This Sakura, however, has seen some shit. This Sakura had some shit happen to her. Not to say she didn't in canon, but it is not the same. Also, she is like nine in this.

Anyway, in this story, she came to the same conclusion as Gaara did at that age. Her purpose was killing and if she was going to be a monster than so be it.

This is a little extreme I know. Edge-lord territory? I got a visa. Wholly unnecessary? Probably… but there are some good things to come from this…

Now, remember, 'Sakura Haruno is a hero' is about her becoming a hero.

She isn't there yet. She isn't going to be there yet. Not until she faces some serious trials and more importantly has time to meditate and apply the things she learns. There is some character development to be had.

Was Sasuke the perfect avenger at eight? Was Naruto ready to become Hokage before he met Haku? I don't think so.

She is going to need time to develop and for now, she will choose this path because it is what she would most likely do. She cannot fix what has happened. She cannot bear the responsibility of everything that has happened and truthfully, she is the type to shrug off responsibility even in canon.

She is also nine. I keep saying that but honestly think back to when you were eight or nine, what would you do? Sakura then chose the easy way but don't worry she is a bit of a glutton for punishment and she can always be Talk-no-jutsu-ed.

:

Why Sora's here…

Because Kinkaku, Ginkaku, and freaking Minato having Nine-tails chakra makes NO DAMN SENSE! Minato is the easiest to explain but what the hell is up with Kinkau and Ginkaku?! They ate some of The Fox's chakra while in the stomach of the damn thing, and suddenly they are pseudo-jinchuriki? No! It isn't gonna happen in this story!

So, as a replacement, Sora happens.

Reasons will be explained later but for now, just know that Byakuren is messing with the Akatsuki and putting a serious wrench in the plan. The full beast will be needed instead of just a part. Shit will happen, and the War arc will be freaking crazy.

Sora will also have a bigger part in the story because really why not? He is like a better version of Sai and a better all-around fighter with more chances to develop him further with his relationship with Naruto.

Anyways, hopefully, you won't be disappointed.

:

Where is the Shonen?

In essence… this is basically a giant prologue? Fourteen chapters in and almost ninety thousand words… *Nervous laughter*…. I'm s-sorry?

*Author proceeds to dodge tomatoes and pitchforks amongst a sea of 'Boos'*

Now, this is going to be over in the next chapter and all the 'Canon' stuff will start to happen… just in my weird logically illogical mess of whimsy and angst… I need to get a life…

I apologize profusely for making everyone wait so long for everything to happen, but the back story needed to be set up… stuff needed to be explained, and exposition needed to be dropped…

*Author proceeds to dodge sniper fire and Molotov cocktails*

Okay… I know I have a problem with the exposition dumps and I swear I won't do it again unless you guys ask. The exposition dumps will be kept here in the author's note… which now that I look at it is almost as big as the first part of this chapter…

*Author just receives a slow clap and all the judgment*

What can I say? I am a novice author, and this is my first story… Ever…

I am also a theorizer and reader first and a writer second. I just wrote what I thought I would enjoy reading and ended up with a huge amount of dialogue and exposition with very little action. I promise once it gets started there will be much more action as well as shorter dialogue scenes which mainly served as exposition dumps with some character moments. This will be difficult, however, as I can get technical describing what's happening and… well… I guess if you guys can't understand what is happening simply that is just my fault huh? I'll try and do better…

Oh yeah! Byakuren! It's gonna be a much bigger deal in the next chapter and beyond! Like they probably are going to be the final bosses!

Sorry, Madara… Sorry, not sorry Kaguya…

One last thing I swear! The update schedule. I am going to be changing it to once every two weeks to once a month. I was (almost) able to keep up with it back in the beginning when each chapter was only 3,000- 5,000 words but now that I am getting into the 7,000-10,000 word range, I might need more time. I nearly died trying to get chapter 8 out as I wrote that 6,000-word beastie in three days. So… yeah…

I might need a longer to update but I will try to make the chapters more worthwhile to read…

Anyways thanks for reading to the end and hearing me out! Hope you guys have a good day or night or whatever and um… see ya during Thanksgiving I guess...


	15. Changes

**Chapter 15: Changes**

 **A/N: Hello everyone! Authors note is going to be super short. Bye!**

* * *

Asuma was a bit overwhelmed when his father just up and hugged him as soon as he came through the gates of Konoha. It was also overwhelming talking with his older brother and his wife again. They had a kid since he left. Konohamaru they named him.

Asuma shook his head. It felt like things were going too fast…

Well, it got worse.

"Thank you all for gathering here. Jiraiya, Tenzo… son… I have gathered you together for you to report and also to tell you what you have found." Dad said. He was the Hokage, but in Asuma's mind he was still 'Dad'. "Jiraiya, you report first."

"Thank you Lord Hokage." Jiraiya said. "I have received many reports from my spies. One of my sources has come back with news that is deeply troubling… Orochimaru is alive. He has been hiding with a group called Akatsuki, The Red Dawn. He has recently left the operation and is trying to avoid capture by them."

Asuma's heart clenched in anger at the dismayed look on his father's face. Orochimaru… Asuma had hated the man. He had hated that he could receive his father's love. Had…

Now, he was just sick. Sick with anger and sick with hate.

This was a mistake. He should never have come back…

His father's reaction learning that, that monster was still alive… it showed everything that Asuma needed to know.

His father's face however relaxed into one of quiet calm. "Tenzo. Control yourself."

Asuma glanced over to the man known as Tenzo, one of Danzo's pawns no doubt, and his eyes widened in surprise. The man was growing… wooden spikes…

The wood retracted back into his body and Tenzo bowed his head. "Forgive me Lord Hokage. I…" Tenzo trailed off.

The Hokage was deadly calm. "Jiraiya. Continue."

Jiraiya bowed. "As you wish Lord Hokage. I was also attacked by a man who called himself 'Shin Uchiha'. The man was… an abomination…"

Jiraiya went into his report clinically describing the events of the attack and the abilities of this 'Shin'. Asuma was now very glad that he and Jiraiya were on the same side…

"The worst part is that in my gut I can feel he is not dead. If he could clone himself so many times than that man was just a decoy… but that begs the question, who would waste so many valuable dojutstu just to send a message? He mentioned his group Byakuren but I have never heard of this group. At least until a few weeks ago. I can only recommend using extreme caution when fighting them." Jiraiya finished.

"Tenzo. Report." His father commanded.

Tenzo bowed. "I have found that the Village Hidden in the Sound dwells in the Land of Rice. It will be a proper village in the next few years. They seem to be making use of one of Orochimaru's old bases to preform various body modification surgeries but that is not the worst I have found. The village is being led by a survivor of the Kaguya clan of great skill. His name is Kimimaro and while his methods are militaristic and at times cruel, his security is airtight. However, with the knowledge of Orochimaru's survival, I fear the snake might be involved more than I originally thought. I will give you the rest of the report in writing later."

The Hokage nodded. He turned to his son. "Asuma. Report."

Asuma bowed like he had been trained to all his life and then looked up and smirked. "The Daimyo of Fire has commanded me to say only this… The Twelve Ninja Guardians have been disbanded and are no more. Forgive me Lord Hokage as the rest is secret to the Royal Family of Fire."

His father frowned at him. Sorry old man. Asuma knew what his father was trying to do. I share, you share. It was a common tactic among the politicians he had been working with for the last three years. He had to say they had subtlety of a ninja and were twice as dangerous with words as any ninja with a sword.

"I see…" His father said. "I accept the information anyway. It tells us a lot. I will be frank with all of you. We may come to war with the Village Hidden in the Mist. With Yagura the Tyrant of Blood. To avoid this, I will give you three a new mission."

Asuma's heart became even colder. He wasn't part of the village again yet…

"Jiraiya. Search and Destroy. Eliminate any trace of Orochimaru, Byakuren, and Akatsuki from the face of the earth. Let them rot in darkness and time forget their existence." The Hokage commanded not without a little Kage level killing intent.

Jiraiya's smile in response was something Asuma wouldn't forget anytime soon. Asuma could feel his intent and thought he could hear toads croaking and ribbiting in ominous crescendo as Jiraiya stood. "It will be done as you command my Lord."

With that Jiraiya disappeared into the shadows still wearing that creepy smile. He seemed a little _too happy_ to be the one to kill Orochimaru… Asuma shivered. It was clear that Jiraiya, despite his goofy and perverted façade, could be just as bad as Orochimaru if he wanted. A battle between those two at full power… Asuma didn't want to think about it…

"Tenzo. You will be guarding our Jinchuriki." The Hokage commanded. "Be as shadows. Speak with shadows and they will hear."

Tenzo nodded slowly and to Asuma's alarm was slowly wrapped in wood and sank into the floor. Disappearing without trace or mark in the flooring.

His father turned away and looked out the window. There was a long silence as he just stared out the window, gazing at the village.

"Asuma… Son… I'm sorry…" The Hokage said. Asuma was struck by the apology. His father never apologized…

Asuma looked at the floor. "I... I still don't know if I can forgive you..."

The Hokage bowed his head and sighed. "I know. But I need you to help me with something. Not as your Kage, nor even as your father, but on behalf of someone in need."

Asuma looked up at this. What could his father ask of him at this point?

"There is a little girl named Sakura who lives in my village. Without disclosing anything too sensitive, they are the reason we might be going to war. She recently lost her parents, her home, her friends, and now even her humanity. Her caretaker is doing a wonderful job, but she needs a… mentor. A tutor. Someone to train her. I need her to be ready."

"So… You want me to turn a small broken girl into a weapon." Asuma said with no lack of condemnation. "I am not _Danzo_ father."

"I cannot give her to Danzo." His father explained without explaining. "I need you to work with me here. If she isn't trained, doesn't prove her worth, she will be executed as a mercy. She is a Guru. She eats chakra for sustenance and we can't reverse it."

Asuma felt sick. This girl… was certainly worth his pity but not his aid. He wasn't a heartless man but perhaps just killing her would be the best option… Also… he didn't want to bow to the whims of his father, he had done enough of that before he left. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. Besides, it wasn't like he had nowhere else to go as he could still go back to the Fire Temple. They would take him in… but…

"Why do you care?" Asuma asked. "Why not just execute her and get it done and over with? You are used to having blood on your hands father and even used to sending children to their deaths. Why hesitate now?"

The Hokage was silent for a long time staring at his own reflection in the glare of the glass on his office window.

"Have you… ever wondered what it would be like…" His father started but cut himself off. "I… want to prove something to myself… I want… to prove that people can change. That _I_ can change… Maybe I am just an old man going soft, but I cannot bring myself to do it… I… I was going to kill her… She was unconscious. It would have been painless… like she had just gone to sleep and never woke up… but I couldn't. Not without hurting some people who's feelings are so tender and soft right now… Anko Mitirashi, the woman who led the mission to retrieve you… she begged for this girl's life to atone for the sins of her master. Ino Yamanaka, a small girl of only eight, was reason enough to her father to have the girl spared despite Sakura attacking one of his clansmen and deserving the punishment of death. Even Shibi Aburame asked for her to be spared on the grounds that logically, the girl was more of an asset alive than dead… and that her death would make his son even more reclusive to know that someone he had come to respect suddenly disappeared, though that is the way of all shinobi…

"Asuma… my son… I am tired." The Hokage- No… Hiruzen Sarutobi said. "I am so tired... Of the pain. Of the death around me. Of the hurt I must cause in order to keep the dream of my teachers alive. Can I… just this once… build instead of tear down? Soothe rather than hurt? Am I still capable of that? Have I forsaken myself? I would do _anything_ for this village Asuma… Anything. But for once, can I be selfish and keep this little bud in the light? Can I keep her alive despite the cost? Would it be worth it? Personally… I would like to find out."

"Son… I have made many mistakes in my life. Let me make one more and see where this leads." Hiruzen said with a soft smile.

Asuma considered his father's words. He rose slowly. "I need to think."

The Hokage nodded. "May I recommend a place?"

* * *

Asuma sat down at a bar stool infront of a bowl of pork cutlet ramen. Ichiraku's was a place that opened up right in the middle of the third shinobi war. He had been only ten when it opened. He remembered standing in line with Guy and Shizune to get a taste during his off time.

Taking a mouthful Asuma was surprised how well made it was. The broth seemed to fill his soul.

"Yahoo! I got paid today! Old man! Gimme ten bowls please!" A bouncy ball of blonde and orange said. Asuma nearly choked on his food. Damn that kid looked a lot like Minato and Kushina…

"Now, now Naruto!" The old man laughed. "You can't spend all your food money here!"

"But Ichiraku's is the best…" Naruto pouted. "I wanna eat it every day… I even buy the packaged kind, so I can be reminded of the flavor…"

Mr. Ichiraku chuckled. "Well, how 'bout we start with one bowl and see where we get from there?"

"Alright!" Naruto said before noticing Asuma watching him. "Hey old man! You gonna eat that before it gets cold?!"

Asuma looked down and saw his food was cooling. "Yeah… okay…"

They ate in silence and Asuma frowned as he thought about what his father told him.

A girl that can eat chakra. That _needed_ to eat chakra… His father. All of it… It felt like he had stepped into the twilight zone. He kept thinking until he was poked by an annoying kid.

"Hey old man! You are eating the ramen wrong! Believe it!" Naruto said poking him.

Asuma's brow furrowed as he considered the kid. "And how am I doing it wrong?"

Naruto used his fingers to lift up his cheeks to it was imitating a smile. "You gotta make a face like this! You're makin a face like this one!'

Naruto suddenly hooked his fingers into the corners of his mouth and pulled down to create an exaggerated frown showing his bottom row of teeth.

"Heh… Well… I got a lot of stuff on my mind." Asuma said returning to his food.

"Oh!" Naruto said releasing the hooks in his mouth. "I get it! I come here to think too. Ramen soothes the soul…"

"Sure." Asuma said between bites. Naruto made a frustrated noise.

"You're still doing it wrong!" Naruto said. "Look, old man Ichiraku worked hard on that! Least we can do is smile when we take a bite!"

Asuma glared down at his bowl. "What if I don't want to smile? What if I just want to think while over a bowl of ramen? What if I just want to be left alone?"

Asuma winced. He didn't mean to snap at the kid but damn he was annoying.

"But being alone sucks!" Naruto said. "Especially when you don't feel like smiling! Ramen is supposed to make you smile! See here old man! I smiled for the first time eating this ramen! I didn't know why, I just did it! I smiled because someone, anyone, was willing to work that hard to make it the way I like! I… know life can be tough… life… can sometimes feel not worth living… but I believe that there is good here somewhere! Even if I am an orphan, I _will_ become the next Hokage. I will make this village acknowledge me!"

Asuma saw too much of himself in the boy. "Look kid, don't live your life trying to get someone to acknowledge you. It isn't worth your time…"

"It is!" Naruto shouted. There were tears in his eyes already. Shit… "It is…"

Asuma didn't know what to say. "Sorry kid… I… I just know what it's like trying to live that dream and I just think trying to get someone to acknowledge you is a waste of time."

Naruto wiped his tears. "I'm not stupid. I know there are some people who will never acknowledge me… but I am going to change their mind! Believe it!"

"But what if you spend all your life trying to get that person to acknowledge you? What if you do everything right and they still won't see you as you want to be seen? What if you get hurt because of them? What then?" Asuma demanded. He would show this stupid reflection of himself…

"I would smile." Naruto said simply. "Because I know that I _WILL_ get there someday. I _am_ going to be Hokage! I am going to be the best one! I am going to sit at the desk and wear the hat and people will say 'That's the Hokage! He is very important!'"

Asuma was dumbfounded. Where did he get so much faith everything would turn out. He asked him as much.

"Cuz. Old Man Hokage told me. He said that something worth having is worth paying the price. He told me about how he works really hard and how sometimes the job makes him very sad, but that he would never change it because he loves this village. The good guys, the bad guys, the ladies and the kids. Said the kids were the 'king'. I don't know what that means, but… I want to find out. I want to know why Gramps would suffer so much just to keep the job…" Naruto said. He smiled up at Asuma. "I am willing to pay the price to be Hokage. To be acknowledged my price is believing I can! Believe it!"

Asuma stared at this little blonde boy spouting off his barrowed wisdom and began to chuckle. "The price of being acknowledged is believing you are worth something in the first place huh? Sounds like something he'd say…"

Asuma got up and set down a couple hundred ryo. "Here's payment plus a tip. Also give this kid ten bowls of ramen. Let's see if he can really eat it. If he can't he can try again tomorrow."

Naruto looked up at the man wide eyed but suddenly he was gone.

Naruto wasted no time however. "Can I get what he was having!?"

* * *

Asuma sighed as he stood hesitating in front of his brother's house. It… had been a long time but he needed to talk with him… He knocked on the door and waited.

A woman with long black hair and small eyes opened it. It was his sister in law and she looked… curious why he was there and not particularly murder-y.

"Rei… can I speak to Konoha?" Asuma asked. "I… need his advice on something…"

Rei nodded and let him in. Their house was… quiet. It had dark green paint on the walls and the decorations were sparse. Of course, that was to be expected. Both of them were ANBU elites. Rei was taking some time off to raise their son Konohamaru out of infancy. He would be given to a nanny and a tutor at age six and she would go back into the force. She and his brother were called amongst the ANBU as 'The Arms of the Hokage'.

Asuma found his brother Konoha rocking his baby boy softly as he had finally gotten him asleep.

"Asuma," Konoha said in a soft monotone that he must have perfected in ANBU. His brother handed his child to his wife who took him carefully in her arms. "What can I do for you?"

Konoha was as tall as he was but with a more slight build. He was also clean shaven, and his face and neck were covered with scars.

"I was wondering if you could explain what dad meant. With the king I mean." Asuma said.

"I see. I am not surprised you don't understand…" Konoha said indicating to Asuma to sit down. His brother rested his elbows on his thighs and looked down as he tried to think of a way to explain. "The best way to understand is to think of Dad or rather the Hokage as a father and the village as his family. What does he do?"

"That analogy is too simplistic." Asuma said glowering at the floor. "You know even better than I do that, that is not really how it works. Fathers don't sacrifice their sons. They don't hurt them and cut down their progress because their afraid."

Konoha raised an eyebrow. "Are we still talking analogies here?"

Asuma shifted in his seat. "Look. We both know that when Mom died Dad changed. Before that however Dad… he never apologized. He was a Hokage. The God of Shinobi. Back then he wasn't ashamed to teach us how to be real ninja. He wasn't trying to… well… he wasn't so peaceful."

Konoha took a deep breath and exhaled through his nose.

"Father did what he had to do to keep the dream of the village alive. The Fourth had stopped the war and Father was trying to keep the peace. Mom's death, the Fox attack, all of it was part of his reason for wanting to make a world that peace could happen. Asuma… I know you wanted to be in ANBU like me. You _were_ skilled enough. Father just had other plans for you." Konoha said.

"He allowed Kakashi to stay, he allowed Kurenai to do seduction missions, my own father wanted to keep me as just a Chunin because he was afraid I would… I don't know what he was afraid of!" Asuma said frustrated.

"He was afraid of you losing your heart." Konoha said simply. "Kakashi was a special case that didn't work out in the end and Kurenai went through General Ops, so if you have a problem take it up with Choza. Father didn't ruin your life Asuma. You did that plenty by leaving."

There was an eerie silence in the room. Asuma had known his brother didn't approve of him leaving the village. He had aready been an ANBU at the time. But Asuma didn't know how much he didn't approve. This was a good indicator…

"Look. I know I screwed up okay? I am… I am trying to make things right." Asuma said hollowly. Honestly however he just wanted to get out of this damn village.

"I know." Konoha said with another sigh. "That is why I haven't kicked you out on your rear. Or gutted you like a fish… Or turned you into paste."

"Rei suggested the last one?" Asuma asked looking up at the woman in question. Konoha chuckled.

"She was going to do a lot more when she found out you were back in the village." Konoha admitted. "but Father received you with open arms. We had to give you at least a little credit."

Rei who was silent the whole time rocking the little boy in her arms nodded.

"You are a fool, but you are our fool." Rei said. Her voice was calm like ice floating on water but just as cold. "Don't test our kindness again."

"Well… I'll just come out and say it… I was given an assignment… not as a command but a request…" Asuma said. "I am to watch over a little girl named Sakura."

Both husband and wife seemed impassive.

"We know of her." Konoha admitted. "She is dangerous, but a shy child."

"She is an abomination, but possibly more human than us all." Rei said softly.

"Should I do it? Should I tutor her?" Asuma asked.

"If it was a request from the Hokage I would do it." Rei said simply.

Konoha was quiet for a bit.

"I know that you are willful and that despite my words you will do as you want." Konoha said. "I stand by my wife in all things, so you know my answer, but I will give you more of an explanation.

"You need each other. Sakura is adrift with no one to guide her. She is skilled but also childish. She has had her guiding star vanish. Her recent psych reports show that she is very beginning to destabilize further. As Father would put it, she is going down a path of darkness. You would need to be her light." Konoha said like he was trying to explain something difficult in terms he might understand. "This would give you a reason to stay. A proof of your loyalty to Father. Danzo… doesn't like loose ends. I believe he only kept you alive for Father's sake. Don't give him another reason."

There was silence in the room as Asuma processed this.

"So, I can either help a possibly psychotic little girl or I can be assassinated as a way to hurt the Hokage." Asuma said clinically. He really didn't like this. "Fine. I'll do it. But not for his sake… for… hers."

Konoha shook his head. "Don't turn her away from the village. She needs to remain loyal to remain alive. Both of you do. But that is an answer Father and thus Danzo will accept…"

After shaking hands with his brother and getting to briefly hold his nephew he left. He left and began to walk to the Konoha Hospital.

Might as well meet the kid…

* * *

Anko was anxious since she set foot in Konoha again to see Sakura. After her talk with Jiraiya she had felt better but she had also never been more scared. When she told him how she had saved Sakura's life she was scared he would only see her master and strike her down with the wrath of a vengeful god. But she had forgotten who she was speaking to. This was Jiraiya. A man who had made mistakes like this one over and over and over again. There was a reason the famed Yellow Flash had been his only known student.

Jiraiya had made mistakes like this one before.

It hadn't been his fault. Most of the time. He was just too intense in his training, taught his students techniques above their skill level, and had a bad habit of appearing unhelpful and even rude to his students. The team had fallen apart. The other children died in battle because of chakra exhaustion trying to take all the enemies out at once with a jutsu. The other…

There was a reason Jiraiya hated Orochimaru. Before he left the village… he killed Jiraiya's other student. She had been missing for months but she was found in the same lab as Anko.

Anko thought maybe he had latched onto her so strongly because he had lost his other student so easily. Anko was just grateful for the help at the time and didn't know what she represented to him. A new chance at life. But now… she understood. She understood how badly she needed Sakura in her life. It may be just clinging to the past, but she wanted to help her. Was that so wrong? She had gotten done with her report and rushed off to see her.

Sakura was laying on the bed in a catatonic state with Dr. Yakushi hovering over her.

"You are late." Dr. Yakushi said. Anko relaxed as she saw Sakura's sleeping form.

"Sorry, you know how Lord Jiraiya is with bath houses. That set us back a few hours and…" Anko trailed off as she saw some coldness in his eye. "What's with you?"

Dr. Yakushi turned his gaze onto Sakura. "I couldn't stop them."

Anko's blood turned to ice. "What happened."

It wasn't a question.

Dr. Yakushi took a sip from his expresso. "I informed 476 of the nature of the law and how it could apply to them to help their appear more… normal. Usually one takes my words at face value but this one decided to misconstrued my words in the opposite direction. They demanded I make them more… I believe they was going for… powerful? Anyways they decided to take the surgeries I would have liked to use to fix their appearance to make them… stranger looking."

Anko slumped into her chair palming her face. The worst part was that she could see Sakura doing that. And it was her fault… again… She had been the one to leave right when Sakura was trying to get her bearings loosing Ino. She was the one who left when Sakura was hurting.

In a strange gesture of kindness Dr. Yakushi gave her an incredibly awkward pat on the shoulder. When Anko looked up incredulously Dr. Yakushi's face formed into the rictus of a smile. More like a grimace.

"There, there? Things will get better?" Dr. Yakushi tried. When Anko's eyebrows shot into her hairline Dr. Yakushi dropped the act.

"I need you to sign these forms and see if you can't reverse the worst of it." Dr. Yakushi said. "Some of the things she asked for would cause her not to be as effective as a ninja, so I didn't do those but the other could make functioning in normal society extremely difficult so please look over these carefully."

Anko nodded mutely still staring at him.

Dr. Yakushi left without a word.

Down further in the hallway Dr. Yakushi let out a grumpy puff of air.

"I can be nice if I want…"

* * *

Sakura awoke to the feeling of soft lips pressed to her forehead. It was something her mother used to do to wake her. But instead of the blue-green of her mother she was suddenly staring into golden brown eyes with purple lining.

Becoming more fully aware, she found herself wrapped up in Anko's arms and her head pressed up into the woman's breasts. Sakura relaxed a bit into her. Her skin felt cool to the touch and the feeling of fingers through her hair felt really good. Still it was a bit weird waking up in someone's arms.

"You really scared me when I came back." Anko said.

Sakura shifted. "I… I needed to get ready. Sorry."

"Ready for what?" Anko asked.

Sakura looked down. "I am getting ready to be a real ninja."

Anko held her just a bit tighter. "And what does that mean to you?"

Sakura's heart was pounding with nervousness, but she kept an iron grip on her emotions.

"My mother taught me that when one takes a life for the sake of the village, when one lays down his life for the sake of the village, when one commits atrocities for the village… that is when one becomes a true ninja." Sakura explained repeating the words her mothers spoke. "My mother however was a bit of a coward. She quit before she could. My father never even tried."

Sakura unconsciously let out some intent. "I will be different. I will be a ninja. I promised."

Anko ruffled her hair dispelling any true menace in the girl's appearance by making her pout like a small child.

"Well, I think that is a good goal Sakura. I am willing to help you achieve it. But know this." Anko said suddenly becoming a snake demon woman once more. "Betray the village and I will hunt you down personally. Also…" Anko said holding her up her head so she could see her eye to eye. "Tell me before you get more body modifications! I really don't mind if you have them but really Sakura? Shark teeth?"

Sakura rubbed her tongue along her teeth experimentally. Yep, they were sharp…

"No wonder my mouth feels different." Sakrua thought aloud. "Okay… I promise… I'm sorry…"

Anko just chuckled. "It's okay Sakura. You just scared me is all."

"Did Dr. Yakushi get anything else right?" Sakura asked.

"We'll find that out together."

* * *

Asuma was surprised when he eventually found his new little protégé cuddling Anko. The woman had been icy and cold during the duration of her retrieval mission. However, Asuma had got the feeling it wasn't him but someone in the caravan of ninja.

For the briefest moments Asuma thought he saw Anko's eyes surrounded by purple eyeliner, but it must have just been a mental thing. She reminded him so much of her teacher at times it wasn't even funny. The little bundle of blankets in her arms however caught his attention more.

She was… well… cute in a slightly disturbing way.

"Who's he?" the little monster asked.

"Hmm? Oh. He's Asuma Sarutobi. He is going to be your tutor instead of you being in the academy." Anko replied coolly. "His entire job is making sure you are able to fulfil your dream."

Asuma smiled a bit at that. Despite all that she had been through and all the pain she still had a dream? That was admirable.

"So, what's this dream of yours little one?" Asuma asked.

Sakura smiled, razor sharp teeth gleaming in the harsh hospital light, the slight squint in her eyes telling him it was heartfelt.

"I'm going to be the monster of the village that kills everything it is set upon!" Sakura said. "I'm going to be a real ninja!"

* * *

Sakura woke up when she fell out of 'her' tree.

She landed with a sickening crack and just kind of laid there while she waited for her skull to repair itself. Her healing factor really was pretty useful…

It had been three years since that fateful day she made the decision to become a monster. She had trained and trained and trained even harder. She devoted herself entirely to ninja work and killing… but aside from that… she was freaking bored…

A lot can change in three years. Where once was the uptight, needs to be perfect, monster freak girl now laid a snaggle toothed, gangly, rather lazy, teen.

Her sharp shark like teeth wore braces that would come off in a few weeks. Hopefully before the Genin test.

Her shaggy hair was covered in dirt and grime and her calloused alabaster skin was slick with sweat.

"It's too hot…" Sakura whined to nobody in particular. It really was hot…. And sticky…. And gross... And so was she…

Mom was probably back at the house with the air conditioner on at full blast…

"Shit…" she said slowly getting up. "Blissful cold shower here I come!"

…

"I need to get a life…" Sakura muttered.

* * *

Mei Terumi stood over the body of Yagura, the Tyrant of Blood, cold dead body. Well, she got the dead part right… just her technique tended to burn, melt, or incinerate so the body wasn't very 'cold' nor was there much of a body when she really thought about it.

Turning to Choujirou she smiled. "Well… that's done… get Ao and tell him to search the records and see if we can't get some leverage on the rest of the council men and maybe the location of the other swords."

Choujirou nodded shakily before getting out of the way. The boy would grow up to be such a fine man one day… but for now he was a bit of a cowardly kid… Still she believed in his capacity.

Several minutes later Choujirou came back looking winded as he had sprinted back to find her.

"Ao… huff… already found… huff… the record room…" Choujirou panted before taking a few deep breaths to steady his breathing. "He says to… come find him. Something important."

Mei nodded and gave him her best smile. "You are doing excellently Choujirou. Gather the others, and take five…"

Choujirou turned an adorable shade of red before running off at full speed stammering about how he would do what she asked or die trying.

Mei eventually found the record room full of the Mizukage's secret reports. Ao's Byakugan flared to life and he looked around.

"Good work on killing that bastard." Ao said.

"Come on Owl… it wasn't that hard… I just had to break a Genjutsu and he begged for death." Mei said softly remembering the last moments of Yagura. "He committed seppeku upon realizing what he had done, and I burned the body."

Ao bowed his head in respect. "He went out like a true ninja… but that does not excuse his actions even if he was under Genjutsu. We had long suspected that Yagura was being controlled… but to this extent…"

"So, have you found anything interesting?" Mei asked trying to lighten the mood. "Did Yagura like brunettes or red heads for his personal harem?"

Ao smirked despite himself. "No… he liked blondes. Too bad you are no longer one yourself… we could have gotten in years earlier."

Mei regarded a strand of her orange red hair. It had been worth the price to get the Lava release from Roshi the Four-Tails Jinchuriki. His line was a natural holder of the Lava release and when combined with some spare chakra from the Four-Tails he could preform feats with the Lava Release that made Onoki's Particle Style almost look bad. She had bonded the DNA of this ninja with her own and with a holder of the Boil Release from her home in Kiri. She was a freak of nature, but it was all worth it to bring Yagura down.

She had lost her lover to him. She would not make that mistake again.

"Well… the past is in the past." Mei said.

"Speaking of which…" Ao began. "There was an interesting report coming from our friends over in Konoha. Taro and Kana are dead. Have been for the last three years."

Mei's blood turned to ice.

"And the girl." Mei asked eyes shadowed.

"Alive. I believe the Hokage was going to use her as a bargaining chip." Ao said.

Mei let out a deep breath. "Very well."

As Mei began to walk away Ao looked onwards. "I thought you would care a bit more."

Mei stopped. "I… she's already thirteen at this point and she has already probably been trained to be a Leaf Ninja."

"True but I have seen people turn for less." Ao said. "We could definitely use her around to keep the suitors off your back."

"No… let her be." Mei said sadly. "She probably doesn't want me around ruining things for her and we don't need her just yet."

"As you wish… Lady Mizukage." Ao said.

Mei's breath hitched but stood regally and buried her emotions. She had a country to run.

* * *

 **A/N: Things I would like to talk about in an orderly and this time very short fashion!**

 **1) Anko's not freaking out?**

 **2) Konohamaru's parents…**

 **3) Sakura's teenager now.**

 **4) Mei…**

 **5) Real author's note…**

* * *

 **Anko's not freaking out.**

 **More or less it has been established that Anko doesn't approve of human experimentation. She is not freaking out because Dr. Yakushi found a loop hole and Sakura asked for them herself. As to what they are besides shark teeth… you'll find out.**

 **But… I will say I decided on shark teeth because on little Sakura they look more adorable than terrifying. It is also symbolic in a lot of ways. It solidifies her connection to Kiri, symbolizes her acceptance as a predator rather than prey, and well… they overall improve her design and make her more eye catching.**

 **Only downside is that they make her look like a gender-bent Suigetsu with Sakura's coloring… which as I write it out… makes me feel a little bit happy.**

* * *

 **Konohamaru's Parents.**

 **Konohamaru's parents are cannon and have been alive until about the Konoha Crush arc. They make an appearance because Asuma needs some guidance. I named Konohamaru's father Konoha because it means 'Leaf' and Konohamaru means 'Leaf's boy'. The mother is named Rei after Rei from Neon Genesis Evangelion.**

* * *

 **Sakura's a teen now.**

 **Yeah, I did a time skip because the series was getting pretty boring. I was going to just cut to that last part first and write it from there, but I realized I forgot something and put this in there. Also, you know… thanksgiving happened, and I wasn't able to do a super long 11,000-word chapter. I still haven't gotten back from anyone if they liked those or want me to stick to shorter ones… Teen age Sakura is a work in progress, but I think I have her general look down.**

* * *

 **Yeah… about Mei…**

 **You have probably read between the lines and I will tell you it was something I really thought a lot about. I just didn't want it to be too obvious. Yeah… Sakura and Mei are… related… originally, I was going to make it Fubuki from the Land of Snow movie but thought better of it. This has been a plot point for the last couple months and coming from a guy that literally makes stuff up as he goes along this is really impressive. She probably won't have relevance until somewhere in… well that'd spoil the surprise now won't it.**

 **The war in Kiri was something I was planning on writing but realized it would probably be it's own series. I am trying to focus more on the Sakura side of the story after this. This chapter is more or less to tie up loose ends.**

 **Her twin Kekei Genkai thing always had me a bit confuse especially during the war arc when it seemed she didn't have two bloodlines but actually just a Kekei-tota aka Super bloodline like Particle style. So instead of nerfing it she actually has Lava and Boil Release. She can create real lava and not just 'quicklime'. Lava style in general just doesn't make sense… there are so many variations where there just shouldn't be. I am simplifying it and making it more what people expect when they hear Lava style. On the upside that means Rubber Release, Erosion Release, and Mud Release are all now a thing.**

* * *

 **The real slim Author's note…**

 **Basically, I want to ask you guys something. Should I make a separate series that is a compilation of Omakes, Outtakes and Author's Notes so we don't have a problem like we did in the last chapter with a 3,000-word A/N? If you think that would be for the best, please let me know in the reviews section.**

 **Alright! Thanks for being patient! I will try to have a chapter out in a few weeks!**

 **Bye!**


	16. Spring comes in like a Tiger

**Chapter 16: Spring comes in like a Tiger**

:

 **A/N: Full Author's note at the bottom! Please read and review! But first!**

 **Some things I would like to address… This section is skippable! Go ahead and get to the chapter unless you want to read!**

 ****Nanami: Nanami! I never leave you! I have chained up my muse in my basement and it is not going anywhere! I will try to explain briefly!**

 ***The short A/N: Your review never made me uncomfortable! I freaking loved it and I am sorry that I did not clear it up sooner! To be honest I was in a bit of a slump. I wanted Cannon to start so badly that I went ahead and skipped a good bit of what would have been some awesome character moments because I didn't want people to get uncomfortable reading such a long, dialogue and exposition heavy story… I got really depressed and didn't write as well as I could have, and I am so sorry about that… You guys deserve nothing but my best. I will be doing my best from now on even if it hurts and my fingers are turned into bloody stubs from all the writing!**

 ***Mei: Yup! Mei is related to Sakura is some way somehow! I won't spoil it here, but it is going to be a pretty dramatic reveal…**

 ****Suzululu4moe: Thank you for your reviews! I will attempt to explain here!**

 ***Asuma's Bro: Named after the village so he always remembers his duty, was extremely close to Asuma to the point that his younger brother idolized him and wanted his father's attention. He is actually not very cold, (that's his wife) but a big brother who has been in ANBU for too long. Also the nature of Asuma's actions do not help him one bit. By leaving the village in a time of disarray without the blessing of the Hokage he more or less betrayed his village, his clan, his family and his father and brother. That betrayal stung, and it is considered one of the worst offenses a ninja can make… Asuma will have to live with the consequences of his actions but he is doing an admirable job of it even if he is not all that committed.**

 ***Yamato/Tenzo: I admit that this is kinda creepy. Yamato is exactly 2 years older than Kakashi making him 24 at the start of cannon. Which means 3 years prior he would be 21-22. He has a 3-4-year-old and would be around 17-18 when he had his first kid. Sorry for doing bad math… It is also never stated in cannon how old he is, so this is just an educated guess…**

 **As for the ROOT training I would like to make something very clear…**

 **ROOT does not make you emotionless all the time. Just like in the real world, that is just not possible. Zabuza who was a trained killer by the age of 6 was still able to cry, feel rage, even happiness and pride in his country. ROOT was based off of Mist's training. So how does that work? I think, and mind you this is just a theory or hypothesis… That ROOT members have a 'game face' that they put on when it is time to work. They dull their reactions and their instincts to become nigh emotionless killing machines for the good of the village but that doesn't mean they are completely emotionless after the mission is over.**

 **Sai is an extreme case toted around like the standard and he is not. He had just lost his brother a few years prior and is obviously hiding all his emotions, so he doesn't get hurt again or is developing sociopathy or possibly borderline personality disorder. He is naïve but even he is not totally emotionless is all I'm saying. Fuu, Torune, Kakashi, Shino, and Yamato are private, introverted people, who can still feel love for another human being. It is just extremely difficult…**

 **The Yamato that ended up loving a girl for the first time in his life at first panicked and tried to hide his feelings, but they kept getting stronger. His wife was very patient with him and probably more than a little giving. Things happened, they went too far and boom! Baby on the way.**

 **I honestly believe those who ship Itachi, Gaara, Sasori, or even someone like Sasuke with anyone will have a story of discovering emotion and learning to care for someone more than yourself if things were just a little more realistic. I also believe that people will make mistakes and if things go too far too fast… well… I am not advocating those types of stories I am just saying they could happen.**

 **Like I said before I love your reviews because they make me question my own writing to really get into what I am writing and why. Keep, keeping me on my toes!**

 **Thank you all so much and hope you guys have a very merry Christmas!**

:

:

" _What can we say about monsters in our own day and time? Yokai, Oni, even the Spirits they all used to be so terrifying to us. We used to leave out offerings to them, worship them and pray that they would not strike us down. Some still cling to the old ways, yes… but when did it stop? In times of crisis men turned to their guardian spirits, their demons and gods in their shrines to save them from the shadows all around them. One would think that they would pray harder, offer more sacrifice, worship, anything to remove themselves from that omnipresent darkness around them._

 _No… the gods did not abandon us. We abandoned them._

 _We decided to embrace the shadows, we spoke with them and gave them the offerings meant for the gods so that we might be free of terror. The shadow we spoke to was known only as the First Shadow. The Hokage. The Fire's Shadow. No one knows his name or face, yet in shadows did he protect us, and we did give him offerings like the god he was. He was known as the God of Shinobi. But as time went on the shadows ceased to scare us. Our ease of mind created lack of reverence. Our culture began to drift into placated monotony. So, we began making demands of the shadows. No offerings of gold and steel for more work. The shadows in their patience took the scolding. But then… those things that used to terrify us the Yokai and the Oni and even the Spirits of gods began to descend upon the land, who did we turn to? We chose the shadows once more. Personally, I wonder if we have made a grave mistake. In our attempt to escape the shadows, we became them."_

 _-Memoirs of the Great Hanzo Fujikaze Councilor of the Daimyo of Fire (Assassinated)_

:

"… and the Clone Jutsu and it's uses." Asuma commanded directing the girl. It was the moment of truth, the Genin exam. His father would judge whether Sakura was ready to be a ninja. Whether he had done well enough as her tutor. It had been a tough three years, but the results spoke for themselves.

Sakura obeyed her teacher's orders, creating up to five distinct clones and made them take formation. She directed them to make feints, so she could land so pretty well-placed strikes, barely blocked by Asuma's open palms. His hands catching and releasing her easily as the clones kept making great distractions. Finally, using speed as a cover, Sakura used her clones to make complex dodging patterns to escape into the trees while avoiding knives thrown by Asuma at a Chunin level. She had successfully hidden herself and avoided all the projectiles even throwing in her Clones to make run by feints and mislead him to where she was at exactly in the trees. Asuma smiled. Show off…

Asuma held up a hand and Sakura descended in front of her master and dispelled the jutsu bowing before her teacher out of respect.

"You did well, and I am proud to accept her as a full ninja of our village." Hiruzen said rising from a picnic blanket.

"Thank you, my lord…" Sakura knelt in full submission to the great lord her long hair splayed out in a shaggy pink mess along the forest floor. "What would you have me do?"

"Sakura Guru. I congratulate you and give you this head band as a mark of our village, to wear with pride and represent our nation. May you always dwell in shadows." Hiruzen said presenting the head band to the girl who was in full prostrated form before him. In an instant the head band was out of his hand and she began to rise putting it on. "Asuma. Feed her and let's get moving. Anko is making some of her famous Dango and has gotten ahold of the Dango house recipe…"

Sakura was on her knees before him as Asuma approached. Her eyes were dilated and hungry.

The look in her eyes always gave him the chills. She would go from semi-normal girl to looking at him like he was nothing but food…

"Sakura." Asuma commanded. Sakura's eyes snapped back into focus and she flushed grey…

"S-sorry…" Sakura said looking embarrassed. "I just… sorry…"

"It's okay. Just don't lose it right now. You are almost off your parole." Asuma said amused.

Asuma held out one of his chakra blades and Sakura's long tongue grew out to meat it. Sakura had told him she had gotten the modification because it would help her eat… Asuma, knowing her, however, was sure that the tongue thing was more to freak people out…

Channeling chakra into the blade, without the wind element that made them so sharp, was difficult. Sakura's eyes were dilated but he could see the careful control on her face as she meekly submitted. Once her tongue touched the cold steel Asuma grunted as she began to feed on his strength.

She was the abomination that shouldn't exist.

Feeding the girl was one of the weirdest feelings Asuma had ever felt. It was like his trench knives suddenly became about thirty to fifty pounds heavier, numbness traveled from his hand up his arm, and it just kept getting worse! Asuma was a powerful Jonin but even he was surprised at how much chakra the girl could consume. But as quickly as it came it stopped. His knives became lighter, his arm was tired, but feeling was coming back into his flesh.

Despite the discomfort of feeding her Asuma loved the faces she would make. He never saw her so… relaxed… as he did when she got done eating. Sakura was wearing a dopey smile and dizzily stood positively buzzing with stolen energy.

"Alright! Lets get some Dango!" Asuma said excited for free food.

Sakura smiled mysteriously however.

"Go on ahead. Tell mom you fed me and that I will come back home in about two days." Sakura said. "There is some place I got to visit before I come home."

:

Naruto swung dejectedly on the swing. Stupid Iruka… making him watch this… again…

He had failed the academy exam three times already. The limit was five times… But the unspoken rule was that if you failed three times in a row you would dishonor your clan and people stopped trying after twice usually.

It was kinda weird but despite being an orphan Naruto had boldly gone up to the Hokage and requested to take the Genin exams. He was allowed through permission of the Hokage but then he failed royally. He wasn't smart enough, not fast enough and certainly not strong enough. Naruto demanded a retest claiming he had gotten food poisoning and that was why his test scores were so low. The Hokage allowed it again and he was given the chance to take the test again. This had been when he was eleven. After his royal failure and humiliation, he swore he would one day claim the hat off the Hokage's own head.

He had been training for a year… well training was a strong word. More like practicing… He wasn't super diligent about it. After seeing what the test was like upfront, he would always psych himself out. Naruto knew he was a fool but even he could see how well that was going to work out. It didn't help Sasuke was always kicking him to the curb every time he challenged him. For some reason Sasuke would humor him and then defeat him in one move. It was so irritating! Like how was he supposed to build up chakra that fast!? Or even do like in his comics and fight the guy to a draw through sheer will power?

Naruto had a feeling Sasuke only knocked him out like a chump every time because he was scared of… who was he kidding? Naruto knew that he should probably give up. The stares and whispers of the people around him only compounded the effect. It was his fault… it was his fault he was an idiot, a loser, and a deadlast… he just wished he could be a better person, but… Naruto was tired. He was tired of people looking down on him.

Yeah, he was a no name orphan, a deadlast loser, attention seeking troublemaker and failed the exam thrice already, but what was that look in their eye?

That contempt, loathing, fear almost but not quite. Naruto felt like he could hear all their inner thoughts sometimes. All the accusations he could just _feel_ around him but could never prove they were spoken. Gramps Hokage had been pretty good at keeping the peace. He was physically kicked out of a couple stores or shops occasionally but whenever that happened a guy in a white mask would show up and whisper something in the offender's ear and they would just tell him to not come back or they would continue to serve him, but the contemptuous looks would grow so bad from not just the shop keeper but the people around that a younger Naruto would leave without buying anything. That wasn't the worst part however.

The clipped tone when people spoke to him, the quietness whenever he entered a public place, the whispers, the contemptuous stares… He avoided the shopping district like a plague. No… Naruto wished for beatings, wished for people to yell at him, mobs trying to kill him… anything was better than this utter silence and lack of love…

:

A man grinned seeing his target. This was going to be too easy.

:

Naruto was carrying the legendary Scroll of Sealing on his back with a huge dopey grin on his face. He must look like an idiot, but he was soooo excited. Who knew there was such an easy sneaky test to become a freaking Chunin?! Haha! He would love to see the look of Sasuke's face when he out ranked him!

Opening up the scroll he was so excited he didn't hear the slight hiss as the scroll was opened and the puff of smoke as the seal on the scroll was broken.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu and Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu huh? Man… my least favorite subject suddenly became so much more interesting!" Naruto purred excitedly. "I'm sooo gonna impress Iruka if I can make multiple Shadow Clones so let's do the Multi Shadow Clone first! Eheheh…"

Naruto also didn't notice that the shed he was sitting next to had the words 'Secret Base' etched into the mantle of the door.

:

Iruka was panicking. He had to find Naruto before the others! He couldn't believe Naruto was stupid enough to try and take the Forbidden Scroll let alone skilled enough to steal it! Also, where was the freaking ANBU and why was this job being given to General Ops!? Choza had looked livid and pretty vindictive. If he found Naruto first Iruka was pretty sure Choza would push to have the boy executed.

That was why when he found Naruto with the Forbidden Scroll on his back looking tired and smiling broadly, he was almost as livid as Choza.

"Ha! Found you Iruka!" Naruto said with a big grin.

"WHA- I found you, you idiot!" Iruka shouted back on reflex. But looking at him, Iruka didn't see a monster. Not after that talk with the Hokage.

' _He's a lot like you when you were younger Irkua…_ '

"Hehe…you found me. Dammit I only learned one skill." Naruto said with a big smile.

"Hey. What were you doing out here? You're all beaten up." Iruka asked.

"Never mind that! I gotta show you this awesome new jutsu! I never knew the ninja arts could be so amazing! If I show you this, you will just have to let me graduate!" Naruto said excitedly.

Iruka was taken aback. He worked himself to exhaustion… to practice his ninjutsu?

"Naruto…" Iruka began. Naruto perked up his head. He had already began making hand signs to show him the new jutsu. "Where did you get that scroll?"

Did the idiot not even know what it was? Irkua's mind was racing trying to make sense of everything.

"Oh! Mizuki told me about it and about this place too. Did you know this is a super-secret unofficial training ground? They got training posts here and everything! Anyways! Mizuki told me that if I learn a jutsu from here then you just gotta let me pass!" Naruto said excitedly.

Mizuki… Suddenly Iruka heard a whistling in the air as several knives came flying at them. Iruka shoved Naruto out of the way of a barrage of knives just in time and got his arms up to protect his vitals using chakra to brace himself. A lot went through his flack jacket like it was made of butter, sinking even into his chakra hardened flesh. Iruka barely standing, slumped to the ground. His hands began to make the signs for a healing jutsu and he popped a blood pill into his mouth. He… he wasn't going to bleed out! H-He… needed to… protect… Naruto!

Mizuki stood looking triumphant on a tree branch.

"Good job finding him for me. Your specialty is tracking and mine is tailing someone without them noticing." Mizuki said smirking before turning to Naruto with a scowl. "Hey shit for brains! You got the wrong part of the woods you moron!"

"Naruto… run… don't give him the scroll!" Iruka shouted hoarsely. This was bad. He was losing too much blood.

"Iruka!" Naruto said rushing to him when he was halted by a huge throwing star slamming into the earth in front of him. Naruto screwed up his face in rage towards Mizuki. "Hey what's the big idea! You can't just go around hurt-"

"Fool. I'm not scared of you. Unlike Iruka… did you know he hated you? Honestly just because you're the Nine-tailed fox-" Mizuki said.

"Wait! What the hell are you saying?!"

"Mizuki… stop it…"

Mizuki gave a nonchalant glance at Iruka. "Oh. You're still alive. That must hurt like a bitch. Here… Let me put you out of your misery."

The man raised his second enormous throwing star and began to spin it around with chakra. Iruka grimaced. He had trained with Mizuki enough times to know how skilled he was with those. He could easily get the damn thing spinning at over two hundred RPM.

Naruto rushed in front of Iruka arms splayed out protectively. "I'm not letting you hurt my teacher! Also, what do you mean!"

Iruka was touched by the gesture but this was exactly the opposite of what he wanted. He should be the one protecting him!

Mizuki chuckled. "Oh. That's right. You didn't know because of that stupid law that the Hokage made. Well… basically you are the Nine-tailed fox in human form, you killed Iruka's parents and slaughtered more people in one night than the last three wars combined. Oh wait! That was the ninja. Civilians like my family have been slaughtered for fun in even more numbers. Basically, the law said anyone who knew about it would be put to death if they spoke about it. Gotta say, pretty ballsy of you to slaughter a poor clerk's family and then knowing about the law torment him by serving you in his store…"

"I… I don't know what your talking about!" Naruto said beginning to panic. "That's not possible!"

"Really?" Mizuki said looking boredly derisive. "You are going to play ignorant? You know… I used to almost respect you until now… That power, that sheer force of killing intent… all pretending to be some idiot kid… but this is just sad. You really don't remember do you? You basically nuked the whole village and then disappeared before eventually turning up in that form. What a joke. Well… If it's true and your all sealed up in that form… than it should be easy enough to kill you…"

He flung the shuriken and Naruto froze.

He was going to die.

In fear he shut his eyes.

But the blow never came.

Wetness began to drip on his face.

Opening his eyes, he saw Iruka. The wetness was tears, and blood.

"Why?" Naruto asked eyes wide.

"I… you…" Iruka panted. "You… RUN…"

Fear of death and sadness ran from the man with a huge shuriken impaling him.

Iruka trembling ripped the huge ninja star from his back and collapsed. Have to… catch up to Naruto…

"Tch… For what it's worth… Sorry Iruka… You were a good friend..." Mizuki said actually sounding sad about killing him.

Iruka felt Mizuki's cold hands on his forehead and chin. "Goodbye Iruka…"

There was a sickening snap and birds flew from the trees.

:

Naruto ran and ran for what felt like hours. He- he just watched his teacher get murdered trying to save him! He hid up in the trees. If what Mizuki said was true… he had nowhere to go.

All of this was overwhelming.

 _He was the Nine-tails._

 _He killed Iruka's parents._

 _Iruka hated him._

 _He was a menace._

 _That's why everyone-_

 _It was all his fault._

 _All his fault._

 _Everything was his fault._

"Everything will be okay." A voice said above him. "Let me get you home."

:

Suddenly Iruka was next to him looking bloody and beaten.

"Naruto… I… give me the scroll…" 'Iruka' said but Naruto gave him a savage punch in the face.

"Naruto what are you doing?!" Iruka said suddenly turning into Mizuki. "How did you know it was me?"

Naruto smirked leaning against a tree. There was a puff of smoke. "Because I am…"

Mizuki's mouth dropped. "How… I snapped your neck."

Iruka looked grim. "Well… you killed the wrong person. And now you are going to face your punishment."

"Indeed..." Mizuki chuckled. "Tell me Iruka… did you really think I was stupid enough to come this far without a backup plan?"

Slowly Mizuki's body began to be covered in black tiger-like markings and he grew taller, chuckling as he did.

"In this form I am strong enough to take on any Jonin in the village." Mizuki said voice much deeper as Iruka looked on in horror. "Did you really think I would tangle with something as dangerous as the Nine-tails without a contingency plan?"

"Where did you get that power?" Iruka demanded.

Mizuki chuckled again. "Well… since you asked nicely… One of Orochimaru's labs that I found in Grass Country. It's amazing what you can find when you are trying to hide a body."

"You were the one that killed Hisoka?" Iruka demanded.

"Tch. So self-righteous Iruka…" Mizuki said pacing around him like a cat that has caught a mouse. "Tell me… have you ever been scared enough to kill someone? Oh, that's right… You were the dead last of our class… you got to be on the same team as the big boys… While I was given two average teammates. You got to stay safe and warm while I watched my team die in front of me. Hisoka was a good man! But he shouldn't have fallen behind… shouldn't have put me and my other two very much alive team mates in danger. He knew our gathering point, what documents we were smuggling out, even where that nice family we stayed with to avoid the local government's suspicion lived. By killing him I saved… oh… four people? A village perhaps? Then tell me why! Why was I villafied! Put under investigation?! I was a hero dammit! I didn't deserve to be made an outcast! Barely able to live as a freaking Chunin teaching at the academy! My fiancé Tsubaki left me! I was ruined! And for what? The village!" Mizuki began laughing manically. "But you see! This village is so stupid! 'Let's put the guy who was under investigation for murdering his own teammate in a teaching position!' 'That sounds like a great idea! I know! Let's put him in charge of teaching the next generation's clan heirs!' How half assed can you get!?"

"They were… trying to give you a second chance." Iruka said solemnly. "Granted, I do think that was pretty stupid to put you in a teaching position. What with all the little boys running around and your association to Orochimaru-"

Mizuki roared like a tiger and swung a mighty claw expecting to take Iruka's head off for his insolence. Iruka however was no longer Iruka. He was a large man with a full beard and spiked hair carrying chakra conductive trench knived that carved into Mizuki's curse mark enhanced claws.

"Wrong move." Asuma Sarutobi said. "Also… you are the one that's stupid? Don't you know Naruto has ANBU around him twenty-four seven?"

:

Naruto was clutching the scroll tightly. "Who are you?"

The guy looked bored. "Some one who is supposed to take you back to the village."

"But Iruka is-"

"Fine." The guy interrupted. "Let's go."

"Drop the Transformation Mizuki! I know it's you!" Naruto demanded fiercely. The guy sighed.

"I'm not Mizuki and to prove it I'll do this…" The guy said. He made a hand sign and Naruto flinched. The man suddenly transformed into a version of Mizuki looking like a very voluptuous and very nude female but blushing. "I am Mizuki... I am a shy naughty girl who secretly likes… would like- you know what? You get the picture."

The guy dropped the illusion. Suddenly Naruto was in a thinking pose with the scroll on his back.

"I give it a six out of ten. The form was good, but you need more of the sexy voice to really pull it- Hey! You totally used my jutsu!" Naruto said pointing.

"Yeah… and it's a stupid one. But it is also one Mizuki would never in a thousand years use." The guy explained.

"Hmm… it may also be that Mizuki is a pervert and would like that stuff." Naruto reasoned.

"But to preform it in front of you while he was trying to kill you?"

"Fair point." Naruto said but then grimaced. "But I can't go back to the village. Everyone hates me there and-"

"You'll be fine." The guy said.

Naruto's eye squinted up at him. "Who are you?"

There was a puff of smoke.

"I'm Iruka. Now let's get moving."

:

Mizuki was struggling against Asuma and apparently his brother who was in ANBU.

They were too strong!

How did they get this strong?!

Why wasn't he winning?!

Asuma and his brother made a rather unfair duo for him to fight against. Asuma had a wind nature but his brother inherited his clan's fire nature in full. Wind enhanced fire, lightning fast wind blades aimed with deadly precision, fire style barriers going up and closing in on him! Mizuki dodged another volley of attacks from Asuma while he avoided the man's brother's ranged assault of flames.

Mizuki roared. N-No! He was given this power by Lord Orochimaru! He was the one to survive in this world of survival of the fittest!

He had read that there were dangers going further in accessing the curse mark, but he was so enraged he didn't care. His body began to grow again, and he was covered with black striped russet and white fur. His yellow eyes burning with an unforgiving light.

Mizuki roared again.

"Come here and fight me like a man!" Mizuki challenged them.

Charging them he was suddenly caught once more in a bind but this time with what seemed like hundreds of brown snakes seemingly coming from Asuma's brother in his ANBU gear.

Wait- This is Lord Orochimaru's jutsu!

Suddenly a very sexy woman was before him with smiling amber eyes. To Mizuki's horror however her body contorted until it wrapped around his own like a constrictor and her neck extended to allow her to look the man dead in, they eyes. She had slit pupils like a snake that bound him with her stare.

"Nah! I'll just fight you like a woman!" she said smile turning devilish as he suddenly began to choke. How was this happening!?

"Aww… did sensei only give you the prototype? He always was such a tease! That's too bad… We could have had sooo much fun together…!" The woman said like she was talking to a small child. Mizuki tried to roar at her but the constriction around his neck became even tighter, causing spots to appear in his vision.

"What...did…you…do… to… me…" Mizuki choked out. Seriously! How was she doing that!

"Oh that… It is a seal created by the Sarutobi clan. It's called the Demon Choker… It chokes those who do not obey a certain command, in your case it will activate whenever you are using that prototype cursed seal." Anko explained unwinding herself from the man as he fell to his knees out of lack of oxygen. "Oh! Looks like you are passing out! Well before you go totally out, I have one question."

Anko smirked at Mizuki. "How'd it feel getting choked out like a bitch?"

:

Sakura woke up again near the shed. Iruka was inside. He needed help…

Sakura struggled to pick herself up. Her back and neck had received damage and though she recovered it still was pretty sore in those areas. Sakura's body thankfully would repair itself from any wound, but the cost was usually a high consumption of chakra as she forced her body to remain conscious and maintaining a transformation while Mizuki snapped her freaking neck!

Sakura eventually managed to get up and hobbled over to the shed.

She needed to help Iruka…

:

Iruka woke up in a strange bed looking up a small row of paper flowers. He was inside the shed. It was for a lack of a better word… girly. Paper flowers, stars and little dolls holding hands decorated the walls along with beads hanging from strings with little metal stars at the end. He was lying on what seemed to be a large bean bag chair right next to a small shrine.

At the center of the shrine was a cluster of small framed photos of a small family. A father with a joyful grin and a mother with a wry, rueful smile and… a small girl with pink hair.

Iruka tried to get up to get a better look but winced when he felt the stab wounds in his stomach. His wounds were patched up, but he was in no condition to fight. As he leaned back he heard the crumbling crunch of paper against a bean bag. Reaching and searching around for it revealed a note that seemed to be written in black ink but without a brush, just some's finger.

'Naruto safe. Called for help. Medical team coming. Hang in there!'

Before he could contemplate the note further, he heard voices calling his name outside the small shed.

"This is medical team six!" one of them shouted. "We are hear because we got word you needed assistance!"

"I'm in here!" Iruka shouted hoarsely.

Iruka only hoped Naruto was okay before the pain and exhaustion made him drift off into an unconscious state once more.

:

Iruka led Naruto to the Hokage's tower stumbling as he did. He looked really tired. The other Chunin and Genin parted ways as he glared at them and held a hand over Naruto's shoulder protectively. That made Naruto smile into his collar.

Finally, they were standing in the Hokage's office and Naruto presented the scroll.

"I am really really sorry!" Naruto said. "I did it because-"

"I know Naruto. It's fine. Just next time use some common sense. Also, never train alone. You can do some serious damage to yourself without a spotter." The Hokage said mildly. "Iruka. You look like hell. Get yourself patched up at the hospital and get some rest. We will talk about some test results tomorrow."

Iruka gave a tired smile. "Sir, yes sir! Naruto… about that thing you asked me earlier. Talk to me about it tomorrow. I'll be a little groggy because of the pain killers but just remind me and I should be fine."

Naruto nodded.

"So, Naruto… I hear you have jutsu you think is good enough to let us pass you the academy…"

:

Anko carried a deflated Mizuki over her shoulder. Well that was useless… Anko had taken a huge risk using the Demon Choker Seal she had been given to fight a curse mark empowered foe only for said foe to suddenly suffer immediate karmic justice. The fool had actually stumbled upon one of Orochimaru's workshops and made himself a potion to get the mark. The scary part was he was just fine going into the first state which was basically hugely underpowered sage mode, but if used correctly would make a Chunin level foe like Mizuki strong enough to overpower a single Jonin on their own.

What was stupid however was that the fool knew that there would be side effects! His whole plan was to use the first state as a back up to stop the Nine-tails if it broke out and then use the Forbidden Scroll to see if there was anymore research on the freaking curse mark to finish the mark he already had!

Anko shook her head. Sad part was that if they guy just kept his head cool then he might have even succeeded. Anko shivered. It was a good thing most bad guys were idiots…

Anko ended up passing Naruto on his way out of the Hokage's office.

Naruto looked alarmed by the decrepit state of the man who was once his teacher and a figure of fear and respect not even a few hours ago. He looked a lot like a mummy without the wrappings but with bulging eyes that both popped out and sunk into his skull.

"Drugs." Anko said simply to the kid who was staring at her incredulously. "Not even once."

Naruto scurried out of her way and Anko smirked.

Cute kid… speaking of which… she had a very lucky girl to go talk to when she got home…

:

Konoha sighed reaching his home and dropping the illusion of being 'Iruka'. His little boy was off bugging his grandfather and his dear wife was off rotation. Konoha smiled. He would finally be able to spend some time with his wife outside of work. He loved the woman, but she could be so cold while doing the whole cloak and dagger schtik.

He was pleasantly surprised however when he went up-stairs and he found his wife waiting for him…

Maybe today wasn't so bad after-all.

:

Naruto stared up at the ceiling to his room that night exhausted. He had a feeling he was missing out on some great… something… He couldn't describe it too well. He was a Genin now. Iruka was alive, Mizuki was captured and would be fine after purging all the drugs out of his body.

Seriously! He was never doing drugs!

Ever!

Everything should be perfect. But… He was the Nine-tailed fox.

No. He was the container. Gramps explained it to him in his office.

He still contained the… thing… that killed Iruka's parents. Didn't Iruka hate him?

Iruka rushed in to save his life and didn't seem to be too mad about saving him.

Gramps explained he was an 'asset' though. Something that sounded like 'Ass-hat' but was something you needed to protect…

But Iruka…

Naruto was very confused. He wanted to be loved but felt like now he was too dangerous to love now even if he did manage to find someone who wanted to be around him. If that was the case what was the point of his dream? To be acknowledged. To have someone who cared… someone to care about… someone to protect…

What would he do now?

:

Anko opened the door to her apartment and slunk into the blissfully airconditioned room. A bit of maneuvering and Anko felt one of the few joys men could never understand.

Finally taking the bra off after a long day at work! Sheer bliss!

Wandering into the apartment she saw specks of black on the floor. Frowning, she wandered over to Sakura's room but halted when she saw the splatters wander over to the bathroom. Knocking hesitantly, she waited and listened…

She could heard snoring.

Slowly opening the door, she saw Sakura in the bath, her blood having turned the water into a cloudy mass of inky black. She looked terrible.

Anko went and checked on her. She was just as thin and malnourished looking as before, her mouth hanging open as she snored revealing her shark like teeth. When Anko saw the seal around her neck she was reminded that Mizuki claimed to have snapped her neck while she was being a body double for Iruka.

She couldn't help but think the bastard got what was coming to him. At the moment he was enjoying a personal stay in Hotel Ibiki under his very special care… he'd make the bitch squeal like a pig.

Anko sighed and reached into the bathwater pulling her up and revealing more of her malnourished, lanky body from the bath. She was very, very thin no matter how much they fed her. She was not 'willowy' or 'graceful' like the story book princesses.

She was tall and lanky with knobby knees and elbows, with ribs showing and thin cords of muscles bulging under nearly translucent white skin. It looked almost like a man's body if not for the developing hips and a bit of a pooch on her lower belly.

Sakura, much to the girl's lament, had not chest to speak of and would probably never develop one. It was just biologically disadvantageous to have two massive globs of fat bouncing on her chest, but that did not seem to make the poor girl feel any better.

Sakura was not 'cute' or 'pretty'. She was just… Sakura. Sakura was wobbly, thin, pale, and sickly looking… but then again that's how she usually looked… Anko sighed.

"Come on baby girl!" Anko said helping her up. Sakura just groaned. "Let's get you to bed!"

"Hmm… Mom… why is Naruto not restrained like I am?" Sakura asked getting up out of the bath.

Anko, not missing a beat, made a questioning look. "I don't-"

"Save the dumb act mom. Mizuki told him and as a side consequence, me." Sakura said. "Lucky he did. Otherwise I would not have protected Naruto or Iruka…"

Anko sighed. The girl was just as cold and calculating as ever. Sakura's problem was that she knew she was dangerous and accepted it. She was like a blade that thought nothing of being careful, only thinking that people were fools for acting careless around her.

"I was wondering why you bothered saving Iruka. I thought we finally had a break through in that icy heart of yours." Anko joked.

"Hardly, Naruto is an asset to the village. Thus, it is my job to protect him from traitorous fools." Sakura said slipping on a bathrobe. "Or should I say backstabber. Did you know Mizuki impaled me with one of those ninja stars of his? I was lucky it didn't hit anything vital or-"

Anko hugged her and Sakura froze.

"Mom I-" Sakura said uneasily.

"He had a curse mark. You are lucky to be alive and I am glad you are you." Anko said brushing away a wet strand of hair as Sakura blushed grey.

"Well… yeah sure." Sakura said looking away but was smooched on the cheek for her troubles.

"Alright get to bed you little hellion!" Anko said. "Kurenai's party is going to be starting and I don't want you around that much alcohol."

"Very well." Sakura said showing a rare smile. "And Mom?"

"Hmm?" Anko asked.

"Thanks… for coming to see if I was okay when I didn't turn up right away…" Sakura said sheepishly.

"Anytime kiddo." Anko said with a grin.

Sakura smiled awkwardly and shut the door to her room. Flopping down on her bed she tried to comprehend what she had heard.

Naruto contains the Nine-tails… he didn't know about it until today… He has one of the strongest forces in the world locked up inside him and he didn't even know! Naruto!

Sakura eventually found sleep, but it was not until much, much later that her brain finally put together that Naruto was still an idiot and wouldn't know what to do with it anyways.

Not that the thought helped much.

:

Iruka woke up later in a hospital bed. Naruto was beside him and he looked just fine. Iruka sighed in relief.

"Hey Iruka! You're up!" Naruto said and to Iruka's alarm he was beginning to cry. "I am SO sorry! I mean Mizuki said-"

"Mizuki is a traitor. He lied Naruto." Iruka said more seriously than he intended. Naruto flinched.

Seeing this Iruka sighed. "What did he say Naruto?"

Naruto told him. Iruka frowned. It hurt him to see Naruto so dejected, but at the same time… as much as he hated the idea… Mizuki kinda had a point.

"Naruto, look here." Iruka said making sure the boy was looking him right in the eyes. "You are not the fox. I have been watching you since I found out you were it's container. Even so I still hate that demon. Now tell me, do you hate me for hating the fox?"

Naruto's brow scrunched. "Of course not… why would I?"

"What about the villagers? Do you hate them?" Iruka asked.

Naruto was in full brow furrowed mode. "Not really… not now that I can see why they were so upset in the first place… I mean… the fox more or less killed their families and then I had- Oh!" Naruto said finally getting it. "If I hated them, I would be no different than them… if we both hated each other for something outside the other's control… They can't help hating the fox for killing their families and I wouldn't be able to forgive them for treating me bad… huh… so… wait… you don't hate me… do you Iruka?"

"Of course not. I hate the fox." Iruka said with a wry smile. Naruto groaned.

"AARGH! This is so confusing!" Naruto whined.

"Get used to it..." Iruka said suddenly getting an idea. "Hey Naruto, come here for a second and close your eyes."

Naruto's face scrunched up. "You're not going to do anything weird to me for revenge, are you?!"

"No, you moron! Get over here!" Iruka barked. Naruto obeyed.

"Good. Now open your eyes." Iruka said. When Naruto did, he saw his teacher no longer wearing a head band and a new weight upon his brow. "Congratulations, Naruto Uzumaki! Genin of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. May you always dwell in shadows."

Iruka smiled when Naruto began to tear up and blubber thanks all over him. Iruka had heard that he had mastered the Shadow Clone jutsu in a single night. With enough dedication he would be able to go so far…

"Naruto, go live your dream and when you're Hokage one day… don't forget us little guys!" Iruka said making Naruto blubber harder.

"I promise Iruka… I will become Hokage! Believe it!"

The funny thing was… Iruka really did believe it.

:

Anko opened the door a few days later to the Hokage standing next to a ninja she hadn't heard from in a while.

"Long time no see Kakashi." Anko said mildly. Kakashi's single eye widened.

"Anko?" Kakashi asked. "You look different."

Anko chuckled. "Well come on in. I've been keeping my tea ceremony ready for something like this!"

:

After a well preformed tea ceremony and Anko finally broke the ice.

"So I take it I am looking at my girl's new sensei?" Anko asked. Looking at the man he didn't seem like much. Forgettable even but he was the famed 'Kakashi of the Sharingan'. He was easily the best Jonin in the village aside from maybe Might Guy. She couldn't ask for a better sensei for the kid protection wise but then there was his interesting track record. Apparently, he was responsible for the deaths of at least two of his teammates giving him the nickname 'Friend-Killer Kakashi'. She wasn't sure how she felt about her charge being on his team.

Hiruzen nodded. "That is correct. She will be part of a Genin team with Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. She has tied with the highest scoring kunoichi in class but her 'extra-curricular activities' a week ago really sold me on the fact that she would be a good third member for this team. Her durability is simply astounding…"

Anko frowned at the choice of team mates. "She is a Gurru, then there's Naruto and the Uchiha as well? Seems like your putting all your eggs in one basket Lord Hokage… What kind of team were you planning with them anyway?"

"Heavy Assault and Vanguard…" Hiruzen said simply as if remarking about the weather.

Anko nearly choked on her tea, eyes widening.

Heavy Assault teams were front line teams as opposed to recon or tracking teams and had high casualty rates. Vanguard required a special team build as they would be retrieving or protecting items or persons of interest against other Heavy Assault teams wanting to either kidnap or steal the target. He was basically putting Sakura in the forefront of all the shit the shinobi world could throw at them.

"Sir, with all due respect, I think thi-" Anko began before getting cut off by the Hokage.

"Allow me to explain." Hiruzen said. "Sakura has skills well suited for tracking and even for assassination yes, but she is also a Gurru. She cannot be put on a team of civilians nor can she be put on a team of esteemed clan heirs… not to mention her… looks… would make her stand out. Naruto is on this team for similar reasons and Sasuke is the only one who could go with such a team being a bloodline holder himself, hopefully, and also knows the stares of the villagers like Naruto does. I want this team to not only be teammates, but friends… and by so doing perhaps saving more than one soul along the way."

Anko frowned into her tea throughout the entire explanation. It made sense and it was even kind of sweet that the Hokage wanted to care for her little girl but still. Lots of weirdos would be after Sakura if they found out about her abilities. In a Heavy Assault team you didn't hide your assets long…

"And what do you think of all this Kakashi?" Anko said looking at the man. "I don't want to insinuate anything but-"

"I know I don't have the best track record with Genin and I'll have you know I don't like this either." Kakashi said eyeing the old Kage before turning to face her. "But I accept the assignment… if they pass my test."

"Test?" Anko asked curious. Anko had never heard of Genin needing a test after the exams.

Even Orochimaru, the pathological tester of men's hearts, had been sufficed that the academy had trained her well enough. Granted this was, you know, _Orochimaru_ so… the man just never did 'normal'.

"Sakura is 'home schooled' and Naruto passed on a fluke." Hiruzen explained turning to stare at Kakashi disapprovingly. "Though normally Kakashi tests his students for no other reason but to find excuse to fail them, I have consented to the logic he has given me this time…"

"This seems like a cop out…" Anko said voicing her inner thoughts.

"Yup!" Kakashi said with an eye smile.

Anko snorted and took another sip of her tea.

"I forgot how much of an ass you could be out of the shadows…"

:

To say Ino was excited was an understatement. She had gotten a damn near perfect score on her Genin test! Her father had been so proud of her and her mother had even cooked a special dinner! It was like the spirits were rewarding her for having endured such trials as she had borne.

She had lived despite blown up and obeyed her father even when it hurt! She was a good girl and studied and now she was going to be rewarded by being on a team with Sasuke!

Little hearts filled her vision. Sasuke was the dreamiest guy in class and twelve-year-old heartthrob of every girl in class! Not only that but he filled the other criteria!

Looks were important yes… but he was also the strongest guy in class. Give a girl some credit! Yeah, she could stare into those perfectly smoldering black eyes all day but if he was all looks, she would never think of anything but a guilty pleasure. He was soooo strong… she could be safe with him. Sasuke was strong enough to go toe to toe with her instructors at the academy without breaking a sweat, knew elemental jutsu already and was almost as skilled as her father when it came to knife throwing skills.

Generations of kunoichi instincts, passed down from her father's pure shinobi line kept telling her that this boy would become a man strong enough to protect her from just about anything…

'That and that he was a total dream boat!' Ino squeed mentally as she walked down the street to the academy with a skip and a hop. This was going to be the best day ever!

Ino was so caught up in her own fantasy of going on dates, secret stole kisses between missions, flowers and whatnot she was totally stoked!

Everything was perfect… but on the inside she was really nervous about

Yes, this sweet, pure, beautiful, nigh perfect girl hid a dark secret… her scars… Since the… accident… she had carried them in secret, using transformations, make-up, anything to keep them hidden. It was her worst fear that her scars would be revealed, and everyone would call her a freak or a-

Nope!

Happy, positive, cheerful thoughts only!

Worried, sad, depressed, negative thoughts give her premature wrinkles!

Ino was sure in her mind however that Sasuke would… actually that was her one anxiety about being on a team with Sasuke. Her scars… they were too intimate, too private to her… and well things happen on missions. People get knocked out, they sleep next to each other… she couldn't keep up her transformation jutsu while unconscious… and the problem was her clan jutsu knocked her unconscious while she entered another's mind to posses them… ugh! That was another thing she was worried about! Who wants to date a girl who you constantly had to ask, 'Was that real or something she was manipulating?'?

Ino refused to give into these thoughts however. Her transformation was still up, she was gorgeous with it on, she was the most skilled and perfect girl in the academy and she was going to make Sasuke fall in love with her and kiss all her scars away!

…

Ino flushed bright red… maybe not the last one… until they were married…

Slowly a tall thin girl entered her field of vision. Her long shaggy pink hair covered her eyes but Ino recognized her immediately.

Sakura…

Ino rushed forward shoving people out of the way. Sakura looked alarmed.

"Uh… Ms. Yamanaka, what the-" Sakura started as Ino hugged her fiercely.

"What the hell are you doing Forehead!" Ino demanded. "I thought there was a restraining order!"

Sakura flinched, looking like the words had physically slapped her. "That was lifted when I became a Genin! Um…"

"And why didn't you ever write!? You could have been my pen pal or even just-!" Ino demanded once more. "I missed you!"

Sakura's face softened but she still pushed Ino away gently. "I… um… I'm sorry… but… Ino… I-I mean… we… can I talk to you in private?"

:

Soon Ino found herself down an empty alley with Sakura and Ino was getting impatient.

"Sakura what was so important that you-" Ino began but she was suddenly slammed against the wall. Sakura was panting heavily.

"S-sakura? What the-" Ino began again but was once again cut off when Sakura began to tremble.

A cruel, vindictive smile played on Sakura's lips and Ino felt her heart stutter in fear as she felt an oppressive aura fill the alley making it harder to breathe.

"You have got a lot of nerve Ms. Yamanaka…" Sakura said. "You really think I would still be your friend after all that?"

Ino didn't understand. Why was Sakura being mean? Why- what- what was going on?

"I'll say this once out of respect for our former 'relationship'… stay the hell away from me… or I will hurt you…" Sakura said never once meeting her eyes. "Just please leave me alone…"

Sakura let go of the collar of Ino's shirt and stalked off. "Oh… and if you ever call me Forehead again, I will knock your teeth in. Got it?"

Ino nodded dumbly as Sakura walked out the alleyway with her hands in her pockets.

Ino slumped to the floor, tears brimming at her eyes.

"Sakura… what happened to you…"

Today was the worst day ever…

:

:

 **A/N: Things I would like to talk about in an orderly fashion!**

 **Feeding Sakura… How does that even work?**

 **Naruto's a loser?**

 **Mizuki all mighty!**

 **How does Anko know the demon choker?**

 **Sakura's looks…**

 **Sakura being so cold.**

 **Ino's development.**

 **Further Q &A.**

 **:**

 ***Feeding Sakura***

 **Basically one transfers they chakra to another. Boom! That's it.**

 **No seriously.**

 **There are certain techniques that do this including the one that helps others out of Genjutsu. However, feeding Sakura is much, much more chakra intensive than anything like that.**

 **She is able to absorb up to about 2 ½ times her max. This can be increased further to up to 6 times her max chakra level depending on how gravely she is injured.**

 **Asuma's use of his chakra blades is a self defense measure. He still is very wary of Sakura and likes having his trench knives ready to fend off her attack if she becomes too greedy. This has not happened yet, but she has gotten worse over the years.**

 **:**

 ***Naruto the Loser Hero***

 **Warning. I am going to criticize a fictional character. I still love the show and the character, but I will not pull my punches. This is to give a little context as to why I am making certain choices regarding the narrative.**

…

 **Complaints: Warning lots of salt… and it's kind of a rant… sorry…**

 **Naruto is a very misunderstood character. Especially in the Naruto Fanfiction community.**

 **Naruto Uzumaki… is a spoiled idiot.**

 **Many of you may disagree and point to certain filler arcs but his childhood was fine, he is a known slacker and idiot who did not bothering to study and preferred to play pranks on people to get attention.**

 **Many stories have excuses for him prepared but many in the fandom don't want to see Naruto as an over glorified idiot who was also extremely privileged during his story.**

 **Basically my argument hinges on Naruto basically being a spoiled idiot that gets things handed to him… comes down to the Neji fight. In it we have Naruto the underdog up against the big bad Neji who has been handed everything because of his 'genius'. (And they totally side step the issue with Sasuke, Kakashi, and all the Hokage being one of these geniuses that have everything handed to them because Neji is the bad guy…)**

 **The fight goes down and we are supposed to cheer for Naruto and condemn Neji because he hurt the poor cinnamon bun Hinata (That was a dick move) and then keeps talking about fate. The sad part however is that Neji, we find out later on, is totally right. You are either born special or you die in this world, but the show and the manga triumphantly points to Naruto being the symbol of the underdog that overcomes all because of sheer guts and determination and practice.**

 **No. Just no.**

 **If anything** _ **Neji**_ **is the underdog here. He may have this 'genius' that allowed him to get this far but you can bet he practiced everyday trained hundreds of hours since the time he was three years old to master those moves for his taijutsu. He reversed engineered the literal crap out of the main branch's techniques and his hax powers are his magic eyeballs and the fact he was taken under the wing of the God of Taijutsu himself Might Guy. He spent over a year training with this man, who was known for his insane work out routines that ALL of his students did, not just Lee, and survived.**

 **Naruto on the other hand basically became a ninja three months ago, learned the shadow clone jutsu overnight from a stolen scroll, which he was only allowed to steal and get away with because he was essentially the adoptive grandson of the Third Hokage, the son of the Fourth, the holder of the Nine-tails and the last Uzumaki in the village. He has also not really learned a new technique since preferring to use his huge chakra reserves to spam shadow clones.**

 **Later on we find out he is the reincarnation of First Hokage Hashirama Senju and the Son of the Literal Alien Christ analogue Asura. He is trained by Kakashi (Someone who would later become Hokage), Jiraiya (Who refused the job of Hokage three times but was strong and talented enough for the position), Fugasaku (A space frog sage man), Killer B (Essentially the Raikage's brother and holder of the Eight tails) and finally The Sage of Six paths…**

 **Neji uses his training and his hax quite nicely and he is mopping the floor with Naruto. He presses all his chakra points which caused Hinata to go into cardiac arrest, to finish the fight and then tells the proctor to call the fight or he is going to kill the poor bastard. Said proctor does nothing and Naruto uses the Nine-tails to survive and to beat Neji.**

 **This is something that if you look closely you see Naruto doing a lot.**

 **Naruto vs Mizuki- Fox powers allows him to make over a thousand clones.**

 **Naruto vs Haku- Fox powers.**

 **Naruto vs Orochimaru- Fox powers.**

 **Naruto vs Kiba- he actually did win this one… but after being made Kiba's bitch for at least ten minutes and got a lucky hit in via dumb luck.**

 **Naruto vs Gaara- Fox powers out the ass.**

 **Naruto vs Kabuto- Tie. With Kabuto technically winning because he got up first while Naruto was passed out for over a day.**

 **Naruto vs Kimimaro- Fox powers.**

 **Naruto vs Sasuke- Fox powers out the ass again.**

 **Naruto vs Itachi clone- No fox powers but almost a tie… at only thirty percent Itachi's actual strength…**

 **Naruto vs Deideira- Fox powers.**

 **Naruto vs Orochimaru- Fox powers.**

 **Naruto vs Kakazu- It was shown his eyes were slitted so… Fox power buff… plus Fox powers allowed him to do the Shadow Clone hax to get him Rasenshuriken…**

 **Naruto vs Pein- Fox powers and sage hax**

 **Naruto vs Nine-tailed fox- Lost the first time then got help from his dead mom and then absorbed the fox into himself… so… Fox powers.**

 **Naruto vs Jinchuriki- Fox powers**

 **Naruto vs Obito- Fox powers**

 **Naruto vs Madara- Fox powers**

 **Naruto vs Kaguya- Fox powers**

…

 **Naruto basically has no wins of his own and relies solely on the power of the Nine-tailed fox. However that's okay… See I might have a point if we are not talking about a shounen anime…**

 **The problem with this is that ALL shounen protagonists tend to have this trait of using their hax powers while being trained by the most overpowered people in their universe.**

 **Naruto being an Uzumaki is not as bad as Ichigo from Bleach being a Soul Reaper, Hollow, Quincy, Full-bringer person.**

 **Naruto having teachers who are kings and gods of their respective world isn't as bad as Goku being trained by literal kings and gods in DBZ.**

 **Naruto being the literal reincarnation of the Christ analogue, his use of the Nine-tailed fox to solve all his problems, and not living up to his own rules however condemn him a bit in my eyes.**

 **Naruto is the hero of this story yes, or one of the** _ **heroes**_ **, but he is not the protagonist.**

 **Sakura is…**

…

 **How to fix it: What you thought I was just going to complain and be salty? Nah… this is Fanfiction! I can write this shit however I want!**

 **In my story Naruto no longer has protag powers.**

 **Meaning if he dies, he stays dead. He has to earn every jutsu, people can help but he must impress them in some way through something other than just being the Fourth's son or having Kurama. He must also follow the rules of rationality…**

 **Example:**

 **You may have a shit ton of chakra, but you can and will run out.**

 **You may have an advanced healing factor, but you can still be incapacitated. I.E. not be able to move even through sheer force of will, power of love and friendship, or because of plot.**

 **If you are an idiot you must study, or you will remain and idiot, not come up with complex and detailed strategies at the drop of a hat.**

 **People who have trained years in their jutsu will be able to overcome you by sheer skill and will kick you in the teeth before you are able to charge up to your final form.**

 **You are not able to tank certain hits without the appropriate hax.**

 **You cannot learn a skill, and use it reliably in battle after learning it in three months without the use of Shadow clones and even then, it is iffy.**

…

 **Basically Naruto is now just a character. A strong character, but a character but not the protagonist. The same is applied to all of characters in this story. People will have to outwit each other, team up, or time things correctly to be able to defeat foes. This makes for more complicated fights and more character moments, so it is a win in my book.**

 **Again I cannot reiterate enough, I have no problem with the character! I have a problem with how he is written! Please don't shank me in my sleep!**

 **:**

 ***Mizuki All Mighty!***

 **I made Mizuki smart and possibly right. He is still an evil bastard but an evil bastard who maybe had a point!**

 **As for his curse mark… The full story is in a filler arc. Apparently, he was given a curse mark the day he killed his teammate by Orochimaru, who saw the act and congratulated his cold-bloodedness. However this seal was a prototype and required him to gather a list of ingredients to make a potion he must drink before it was usable.**

 **I decided to make him just find the recipe for the 'curse mark potion' from Orochimaru's lab.**

 **As for why he is smart… well… he was smart enough in the filler arc that it kinda bugged me how well thought out his plan was compared to the one we see in the first chapter of the manga. With the new information from the filler arc and making sure 2+2= fish we get that he is actually a decent villain.**

 **:**

 ***Anko knows the Demon Choker?***

 **Anko was allowed to learn the seal so she can reapply the seal or unseal Sakura in case of an emergency, so Sakura can use her powers to their fullest. Anko has a background in learning the workings of cursed seals as she is trying to get her own off and researched her old master's compendium of prototypes, so I do not believe it is unlikely she would not be able to learn it.**

 **:**

 ***Sakura's looks.***

 **I redesigned Sakura to resemble a Preta or Hungry Ghost since she is a Gurru Clan member. They are nearly skeletal in nature and have engorged stomachs, eating everything in sight and are represented in Naruto by Pein's Preta Path.**

 **Her height comes from the legends of the Wendigo who say that they could grow as tall as redwoods. She is only a foot taller than her peers, but it is enough to make her stand out. The wendigo played out in her overall design again with the sharp teeth and overall skeletal appearance again. This also harkens back to her Land of Snow heritage.**

 **I did however make her more beautiful than her ghoulish inspirations in that she still looks somewhat human.**

 **:**

 ***Sakura being mean***

 **Sakura was basically warning Ino away from her. I can't go into too much detail, but you get the idea. Sakura knew that the only way to get Ino to stay away from her would be to give her, or her father, a reason.**

 **There will be more drama next chapter going into it.**

 **As to why she is mean to begin with… she thinks she is a monster and is unapologetic about it. She believes she has one purpose and that it to do as the Hokage says. Everything else was thrown out the window but she still feels things for people and that scares her.**

 **Sakura believes attachment is equal to weakness, but she is the most attached out of everyone and it goes contrary to her nature, so she is constantly in conflict with her feelings as in the end, to Sakura, Feelings= Bad.**

 **Sakura still has many feminine traits, but she is hiding them right now. We will see more of them later on, but the first one is we see so far is her caring nature towards her friend, even if she goes about it the wrong way, she does it because she cares…**

 **:**

 ***Ino's development***

 **Ino is a fun character to write but not easy to write into a serious situation. Ino grew up differently than most of the cast. She was Daddy's little princess and she still has her confidence, as fragile as that is, and is essentially that one preppy kid you hated in middle school…**

 **Ino, however, does have some redeeming qualities in that, though she comes off as bossy, really cares about people around her succeeding just as much as she believes she does. She does work hard for her grades and will help people to achieve their fullest potential. Her major philosophy is that she should shine and excel and by doing so bring everyone up around her.**

 **She is ditzy, bossy, and a bit of a jerk but she is a fierce friend. Which is why she makes such an interesting friend for Sakura.**

 **:**

 ***Other Q &A***

 **Really this has been a rough two weeks and I am just grateful that you guys are so supportive.**

 **I haven't said this in a long time but the purpose of these are to help explain things to the audience and answer their questions.**

 **If you have any questions either review the story and I will answer you in the Author's note or you can PM me and I will do my best to send you a response to answer your question.**

 **I love the lore in Naruto and I could honestly talk about it for hours… I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.**

 **Thank you all so much for making it this far and I hope I get to see all those wonderful views soon!**


	17. Ghosts

**Chapter 17: Ghosts**

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everybody! I just wanted to thank everyone for getting this story up to nearly 500 views on the first two days! You guys are amazing!**

 **Some really quick Q &A from the review section!**

* * *

 **Nanami: As always you are very kind and your reviews make my day! I'm sorry I didn't telegraph the time skip well. That was my bad as a writer…**

 **But to answer your postscript 'a vengeful spirit' is a good way of describing her!**

 **When writing her I mostly based her appearance off of the Gaki/Preta (Hungry Ghost) of Japanese mythos and the Wendigos from the game 'Until Dawn'. Hence the bit of nudity there…**

 **You can google the images or watch the Let's Play's, but I would stay away from the 'Until Dawn' images and most certainly NOT look at them or watch Let's Play's of the game at night when you are tired and doing research… especially if you have to go to work early the next morning… unless you want to be scared half to death and have new nightmare fuel for a while… They are WAY too scary… especially Hannah… *shivers* The game is rated for 18 and up for a reason! There are some very gruesome and gory deaths and the monsters are freaky looking… man… what I do for research!**

 **The Gaki/Preta are usually fine… I based her more off the skeletal ones though… I decided not to give her an engorged descending stomach…**

 **While the description was a bit crude, I stand by it… the fact that I was describing an underage girl in the bath is something I realized when I saw your comment but haven't changed because… well… I think I wrote her description in a way that is not… well… sexually appealing… like at all… she's twelve… and basically skin and bones… so…um…** _ **yeah**_ **…**

 **I was also basing her description on the 'Until Dawn' Wendigos and the Gaki/Preta and they are very decidedly** _ **unsexy**_ **monsters… So… um… sorry, I guess?**

 **I was going for culturally accurate and totally forgot the whole political correctness part… sorry…**

 **I don't think any of the pictures I found do her justice and certainly none of the chicken scratch I draw so… sorry…**

 **I hope this helps and sorry about the mini rant… I know that is not what you were talking about in your review, but I just wanted to cover my bases… the internet is a scary place nowadays…**

* * *

 **Suzulu4moe: Thank you again for reviewing! Seeing your reviews always puts a smile on my face! I am going to answer a few of your questions in this chapter but I will answer the one I don't think will be explained.**

 **Sakura is indifferent to the Hyuuga clan. They are powerful, and she respects that but other than that her feelings toward them are ones of careful respect. If she learned of the cursed seal, she would be fine with it. She has no problems with seal of that nature, but she would find it a bit strange to see it used in a hierarchy.**

 **It isn't that she is heartless or cruel it's just that she practically grew up with a seal and doesn't see the problem as it keeps her and everyone around her safe. I guess the major difference is that she doesn't see the people who hold her life in their hands as 'the bad guys' like Neji does with the main branch.**

* * *

 **Jiggly Joe: Thank you for reviewing! I more or less meant that as a joke, but you bring up some good points! When writing that I was just listing off the things that, when I read through the series, I was like 'This. This here is some bullshit'. Then I figured since this is my story, I could change up how it goes. I was also warning people that their favorite characters/pairings are on the chopping block with a crazy person wielding the axe… hehehe…**

* * *

' _Introducing the one and only-' a feminine voice began._

' _Cut that out Okui.' A gruffer voice said._

' _But hubby…' Okui pouted. 'I mean if you don't want to…'_

' _*sigh* What am I going to do with you?' he said his smile evident in his voice._

' _Eep!' Okui said. 'Hey! I thought you were working on curing me! No kissing!'_

' _Exactly. It is the only way to-' The young man said before becoming quiet._

 _There was silence for a moment._

' _Do you really have to do that?' Okui murmured._

 _There was a deep breath as he exhaled._

' _Yeah. The test subjects should be-'_

' _Can't you at least call them children?'_

' _They are genetically grow test samples. They are not children.' The man said. It sounded like he didn't really believe it either._

' _Hey…' Okui said voice sounding gentle. 'Look here… that's it… I love you! You are the bravest and most wonderful person I have ever met and there is nothing you could do to make me disgusted in you… I just wish you would let the 'test subjects' grow up a little.'_

'… _If I do I… I get attached… I start thinking of them as- It's stupid…' the man said._

' _What?' Okui said sounding playful. 'Can't you tell me?'_

'… _I sometimes think… maybe after all this is over… We could adopt them…' the man said sounding embarrassed._

 _The was a wet inhale. Okui is crying. 'I'd love that…'_

 _There was a rustle of cloth._

' _I know you would…' the man said voice smiling before taking a deep breath and his voice becoming more monotone. 'But until then… the tests continue… wait…is that thing still recording?'_

' _Oh! Yeah! Um… sorry!'_

 _Audio cuts out._

 _-Audiocasset number 3 , The Abnormal's report._

* * *

Naruto panted as he raised his hands into the hand signs now permanently etched into his brain. The shadow clone jutsu.

Gramps had made him sit down, with his supervision of course, and read the whole jutsu rather than just the hand sign part right from the Forbidden Scroll. The Hokage had claimed that since he knew the technique well enough to perform it, he might as well learn _exactly_ what it did and why it was, you know, _forbidden_.

Gramps explained it to him like this. Take a cup of noodle ramen cup and cut it in half or into fourths. This was essentially what was happening when he used the technique with one huge catch. Instead of a cup of noodle you are playing around with splitting your freaking soul!

The soul, as defined by the culmination of your being in your mind and spirit along with your body, would be split by the jutsu and then when the jutsu ended it would snap back into place because it doesn't like to be split apart. The jutsu's high chakra cost was the jutsu splitting your soul into a single separate entity and then when the chakra of the clone or the clone got struck , the remaining chakra would send the clone, and your soul back to the user. And that was just the Shadow Clone jutsu! It would take your chakra, the residue or energy of your soul and make a single copy of yourself.

The Multi-Shadow clone jutsu however was even more crazy. That jutsu focused on splitting your soul into multiple separate and equal parts. The only reason Naruto hadn't died, gone insane, or shattered himself on an ethereal level, the Hokage explained was because of the Nine-tails and it's seal. The seal bound the fox's soul to Naruto's and so when Naruto did something stupid like trying to eradicate himself on the ethereal plane of existence, it would keep Naruto from falling apart because apparently if he died then Naruto did.

This was a lot to take in to take in, especially after the confrontation with Mizuki. Gramps had made him promise not to use the jutsu unless he had no other choice but to be in more than one place at the same time as it was forbidden magic. If anything went wrong, then he was toast.

And here he was practicing it…

The whole point of training it was so he _didn't_ do it wrong. The only thing worse than a forbidden technique that could kill you was a forbidden technique that could kill you, fail to kill your opponent, kill your family and loved ones and make everything suck. At least that was how Naruto understood it, so he best get this shit right!

Naruto focused his energy as high as he could get it. Then blam! He released the technique!

Suddenly a clone of himself appeared. It was weird, seeing himself… He looked exactly like his reflection except his face looked wrong… maybe it was the fact it- he was wearing a different expression.

The clone opened and closed his hands and looked around scared.

"Did it work?" The clone ask.

"Yeah!" the original said. "How does it feel?"

The clone looked panicked for a moment. "I can't feel all my chakra! I… I know I'm a clone but… oh spirits… what happens when I… when the jutsu ends?"

"You come back to me remember." Naruto said feeling the clone's fear. "Right?"

"Y-yeah…" the clone said. "But… if I am a clone… doesn't that mean I am a different person?"

"I… I guess so… no… you have all my memories, right?" Naruto asked.

The clone nodded. "Yes but I know I am a clone. I know I won't last."

"Hey it's okay." Naruto said as the clone of himself began to cry. "It's going to be-"

The clone clutched him, hugging him fiercely. The clone felt as real as any person, it-he… felt… warm, he had a smell, his own mind and even a part of his soul and the poor thing was trembling.

"I don't…" the clone said voice cracking. "I don't want to disappear…Please don't make me go! Please don't-"

"Hey… it's okay… I'll keep the jutsu up as long as I can…" Naruto said, beginning to tear up. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry I can't keep it up longer…"

The clone let out a wet chuckle. "I was never really good at keeping promises… I… I'm-"

And the jutsu ended. Memories rushed into Naruto's head and he felt so… empty… His heart felt torn in two and he suddenly was filled with a sudden desire not to die.

Naruto fell onto his back.

Back in the forest… back when he first learned the jutsu… he had used the multi shadow clone jutsu just for a few seconds. He never thought of what the clones might feel… Naruto sat up and into the bushes he emptied his stomach.

It was like he killed someone, but the dead guy's memories were his own and he was forced to relive it.

Naruto felt like hell. Why… why would anyone create such a jutsu? Why was this the one he learned? Gramps told him the Fourth's teleportation seal was in there, why couldn't he have learned that one?

Naruto was quiet for a long time. What would it take to use this jutsu? To sacrifice something like that…

There were other restrictions with the jutsu. He couldn't make them go too far away from him. Apparently, there was a range of about a mile. Anything farther and they would burst. Knowing how the clones felt… he could only imagine what would happen, how they would feel, knowing as they got farther and farther away from the original, they would vanish… It would be terrifying…

Shit… how was he supposed to use such a jutsu?

* * *

Naruto was sitting across the office desk of the Third Hokage. The man was not pleased.

"Naruto. I thought you were done with such pranks after you became a Genin. What is the meaning of this?" The Hokage said.

Naruto looked down. "I um… I wanted to look cool…"

The Hokage sighed and glanced down at the picture of the boy. He had painted his face and hands to resemble an opera, specifically the markings meant the boy was angry, passionate, or fierce. The paint only accentuated the snarling grimace the boy had worn while striking a dramatic pose. This was something he would have expected from his student Jiraiya not his surrogate grandson…

"Do you like it?" Naruto asked becoming more animated as he began to explain in detail how much work he had put in to make such a photo.

"Do it again." The Hokage said cutting him off.

"Wha- But why Gramps?! I worked really hard on it!" Naruto complained.

The Hokage sighed. "Naruto, do you know what these pictures are for?"

Naruto looked down sheepishly. "To mark the day we become Genin? Okay fine! I wasn't paying attention when Iruka explained it…"

"These photos serve many purposes but mainly it is, so we can keep a picture to put with you records. It is what the local lords and the Daimyo will look at to decide who they want on the missions they commission from us. You making a ridiculous face such as this, not only will you not pull any new contracts, but you damage the reputation of the village who ask you look professional. A picture tells a thousand words and this one tells that you are a fool who is not to be trusted with missions a thousand times over. Do you understand Naruto?"

"Yeah… I'll retake the photo… sorry…" Naruto said glumly. He had wanted to look cool…

"What's wrong Naruto?" The Hokage asked.

"Incoming. Threat level very low. Konohamaru again." A toneless voice muttered from the ceiling. Naruto glanced around wildly.

"Who was that?" Naruto asked staring at the shadows like they held paper bombs. A good habit for a ninja in any village…

"My ANBU. They guard my person and preform missions under my direction. I literally trust them with my life. Anything you say will be like speaking to shadows."

Naruto still looked spooked but settled down some. "It's just… that jutsu…"

"I see you have discovered the reason that jutsu is forbidden, haven't you? Well, it was only a matter of time." The Hokage said. "Naruto… do you know what being a Hokage means?"

Naruto looked at the floor. "It means you protect the village… right?"

"It means I send people to die for the village." The Hokage said staring out the window. Naruto looked up shocked. The Hokage still had a very far away look in his eyes. "I cannot be everywhere at once. I cannot solve everyone's problems and personally be on the missions that people get sent on to keep them safe… I am locked away behind this desk, doing paperwork and sitting in meetings. Occasionally I see some action when someone tries to assassinate myself or my family… but that rarely happens as the ANBU guards protect me quite well… Naruto… to be Hokage is more than to be the village's guardian. It is to care for everyone here., everyone in the entire village and trust in their Will of Fire to get them through. Your job as Hokage will be to train them, help them with their problems and protect them from threats that they can't fight themselves."

The Hokage closed his eyes for a moment before staring deeply into Naruto's perfect blue ones. The boy's eyes were wide as he had never considered what his dream truly meant, but it was essential he learn.

"Naruto. You have the power to protect this village and whether you become Hokage-"

"Dynamic ENTRY!" A little boy cried wearing a green jumpsuit kicking the door open and flying towards Naruto. In an instant ANBU had him in a head lock with his arms behind his back on the floor.

The Hokage sighed. "Take him home… Sorry Konohamaru…"

"Heyheyhey! Not the ears!" Konohamaru yelped and one ANBU grabbed their son by the ear and walked him out of the office whilst the boy struggled and begged.

Naruto looked incredulously at the old Kage. "Why was Konohamaru in spandex?!"

"He met a man named Might Guy who told him that he could get stronger by training hard. The man was a team mate of the boy's tutor and apparently, he had asked Guy to train him while he had a head cold. Guy passed on his eccentricities to Konohamaru who think Guy is the greatest thing since electric lights and refuses to take off the miniature spandex outfit. On a related note, Guy is no longer allowed at my son's house. 'Tiger Mom' says so." The Hokage smirked as Naruto shivered. It had only taken one meeting with Rei wife of his eldest son to straighten the boy up around her. She was an ANBU for a reason…

"Okay… but seriously! What the hell was that!? I can't believe Aunty Rei would let him wear that!" Naruto said exasperated.

"That is what we have been trying to figure out. On the plus side she tolerates some of the behaviors such as the work ethic and the borderline overkill training regime, so I think she lets him keep the suit as motivation to succeed." The Hokage said. "Anyways… I will tell you to be a Hokage is no joke. It takes hard work and even better leadership skills… I believe you can develop them with this jutsu. Just remember my warning. If anyone got ahold of the jutsu you might be responsible for their death or insanity if they attempted to use it. So as the old quote goes 'Keep it secret, keep it safe' and only use it when absolutely necessary… but I will give you one more condition."

"Eh? What's that Gramps?" Naruto asked.

"The First Hokage was noted to say this. 'I will defend the village with my life. I will not allow anyone to destroy it. Be it my friend, my brother, my lover, or my very own child. I will cut them down if they threaten my home'." The Hokage quotes. "I give you this new commandment… you may use the jutsu to defend that which is most precious to you, that which you cannot lose, or it would be equal to losing your own soul… and one day I would like you to see the village that way… heh… don't give me that look… I know that the village still resents and reviles you and I know on some level that feeling is mutual… but if you can focus on those precious to you… then you will succeed…"

Naruto looked a bit confused but nodded slowly.

"I'll think about it." Naruto said hesitantly.

* * *

Naruto wandered until he found the training ground that he had found in the woods. While he was there, he never got to explore the shed. Approaching it slowly he was hit with the same sensation as before. It was quiet. Reverent almost. The bird song didn't reach this part of the forest, almost like even they would not break the ever-present silence and disturb the strange sadness that filled the place. Naruto walked carefully and found the shed rather easily. Opening it up slowly he listened as the door creaked open.

The inside was filled with the smell of incense and the musk of a deserted home left open to the elements. There was a large bean bag chair in the corner by the door with some dried blood stains on it. Grimacing he looked away and saw a strange shrine. All around it were paper flowers, little dolls holding hands, and stars. Beads hung down from the ceiling with little metal stars attached and just above it were hundreds of glow in the dark stars splayed out in little constellations.

The shrine showed pictures of a small family. A girl with pink hair with a shy grin on her face, a tired looking woman with a wry smile, and a man with purplish hair that looked like he was laughing. Setting the picture down he found small little story books, some musky stuffed animals, and more photos.

What was this place? It seemed so… private… personal… what happened?

He left the room slowly, making sure he put everything back into place. A small frog plushie seemed to call out to him, arms open for a big hug and a 'kiss me you fool!' expression on it's face. Naruto hugged the stuffed animal with a smile. It was rather cute… This place would make an awesome secret base! It was calm and quiet and-

Naruto felt an unearthly aura radiating sheer unnatural hatred right behind him.

There was haggard breathing and a rasp to their voice.

"Get out." The voice said simply. Naruto whirled around saw a freaking ghost! The ghost was tall, pale as a corpse and soooo scary looking! It was thin as a skeleton minus the sunken cheeks and had black blood dripping across it's thin face and out of it's mouth. The worst part however was the eyes. It's eyes just radiated disdain, hatred, and pure malice!

Naruto let out a scream and his eyes rolled into the back of his head, passing out.

* * *

Naruto woke up later in a meadow. He knew this place… It was where he and Konohamaru would play and catch butterflies in while Tiger Mom watched… He shot straight up.

What the hell was that!? The training ground was haunted!

He had to talk to Gramps! Get some exorcist shit up in there!

* * *

Sakura grumbled as she put away everything at the shrine. Stupid Naruto coming back here… wrecking her shit… making her parent's last resting place a mockery with his stupid foolish… Her hand brushed up against the frog that the fool had dropped. Sakura picked it up considering and held it to her chest with a blush. She remembered when her father got this frog for her. She had been only five at the time her parents had given it to her, so she wouldn't be sad when they were gone, and she needed something to hug…

Sakura clutched it harder. She missed them… but it was for the best they were dead… she couldn't imagine what they would think of her now…

* * *

"So you want me to order a mission for Ninja Monks to come and exorcise the training ground?" The Hokage asked.

Naruto nodded emphatically. "Yeah! That ghost was like way scary and there was a shrine! Believe it!"

The Hokage looked up thoughtfully. "It's not really my place to say but I will ask you a few questions and see if you can solve it… Did you see anything in the shrine?"

Naruto nodded slowly. This was weird. Usually Gramps loved explaining stuff… "Yeah… I saw a photo of a family… there was a mom and a dad and a little girl? Why what about it?"

"What did the ghost look like?" The Hokage asked.

"Come on Gramps! You going senile already? It was tall and thin with pale corpse like skin… black blood… fierce eyes… and pink… hair…" Naruto said slowing down as his brain put two and two together.

He hated ghosts for a reason. When he was younger some of the older kids used to bully him by making him do tests of courage… one time he had been forced to go through a graveyard. With the new context of the law placed about the Nine-tails, he could tell why the adults were upset. The grave yard had been built to honor those who had died in the Nine-tails attack. To scare him so he wouldn't come back they told him ghost stories and how the ghost always hated the living and could never be killed except by a priest. But the worst part was…

Naruto hated that he could never help. Hated that they were stuck there. Suffering. He had even thought about being a Ninja Monk, but he found that even they don't have good luck purging spirits… especially when they were murder victims…

"The girl… died there?" Naruto asked horrified. That made so much sense… he had probably been trespassing on it's grave and… all those stuffed animals… she must have been young when she died… the bean bag chair with blood on it… she must have died there… "Gramps! She has to be laid to rest! I-you gotta help her!"

The Hokage looked at the young man before him. He wanted to help a ghost… well… he wouldn't lie to Naruto…

"There is nothing to be done. Maybe you could pray for her but that is the extent of what you can do. Though I think if you gave her an offering it might appease her soul a bit." The Hokage said mentally coming up with a plan. This needed to work, or a lot of his bigger plans would fail.

Naruto wouldn't meet his eyes. The Hokage sighed.

"It's okay to be scared. She is scary person." The Hokage said. "But I think it best if you resolve this quickly before she has the chance to stew about it."

"You knew her?" Naruto asked with wide eyes.

The Hokage took a dreg of his pipe. One of his few comforts. "Yes. I see her from time to time… sometimes being Hokage means you have to face your ghosts and do your best to make up for past wrongs."

The air in the room suddenly became heavy. Naruto looked uncomfortable. He was not good with keeping his mouth shut but couldn't bring himself to say what he thought this time.

It sounded like there was more than one meaning for that… Naruto shook it off.

Rule number one of living in Konoha Naruto Style was not to ask questions it usually led to bad things happening…

* * *

Naruto approached the training ground offering in hand. When he asked Gramps what he should get her Gramps said she was fond of Dango… Naruto had been surprised when a nice big sis actually paid for him. She was really pretty with purple hair and gave him a big smile. Naruto had given his best smile back.

The memory filling him with courage he slowly moved to the shed. The door like before was unlocked. Opening it he saw that it was dark but still really cozy. His mind however transformed the cozy little shed into a full-blown horror house. Each of the stuffed animals were suddenly staring at him judging his soul…

He laid the offering down before the shrine and shakily clapped twice. He slowly found the words for his prayer…

"I'm sorry for disturbing you and for touching your stuffed animals! They looked really cute and I… it looked like they hadn't been played with for a while…" Naruto said. His palms were sweating, and his breath was shaky. This seriously freaked him out! He bowed his head. "I ask your forgiveness with this offering! I heard you liked it! Believe it!"

Suddenly he felt a presence behind him. Naruto did his best not to turn around or open his eyes which were now squeezed shut. He heard ghosts could do some pretty messed up shit to you and didn't want to make it mad!

He could feel someone's breath on his ear.

"You are forgiven." The breathy voice whispered into his ear. It was terrifying and relieving at the same time. He heard her! She had forgiven him and now he just had to-

"But I cannot eat dango… would you give me some of your chakra instead?" the whispers continued, and Naruto felt he was about to shit himself. "It's okay… isn't it?"

Naruto was frozen. Some of his chakra for his escape? How much was some? Was giving her chakra the wrong thing to do? He was seriously freaking out.

"Go ahead." Naruto's mouth answered for him.

What.

Was.

He.

 _DOING_!

Dammit brain! Don't say stupid shit that's going to get me killed! I'm gonna-Holy shit he was gonna die-a ghost was gonna eat his soul and he was gonna die-

A warm wet mouth clamped onto his shoulder as the ghost bit gently on his overcoat. Thin pale arms wrapped around his torso slowly and held him in place. Naruto nearly pissed himself right there but as too distracted by the heavy breathing coming from right next to his ear.

His shoulder and wherever the ghost touched him felt numb and he felt his energy drain right out of him… but it wasn't too bad actually… she wasn't taking too much… Naruto slowly opened his eyes and turned to see a girl with pink hair moaning into his shoulder as she drank in his strength with eyes closed.

She was… not cute… but she wasn't ugly either. She just looked too thin… too sad… he could feel the wetness of her mouth through his coat. She was biting so gently onto his coat and drooling a bit… Her arms were thin and pale. Especially in the moonlight coming in through the single window of the shed. Was it really that late? Naruto was almost bored as the girl kept draining him eventually it began to get uncomfortable as he knelt.

"Um… I… uh… are you done?" he asked. This seemed to snap the girl back to reality. She had a dopey look on her face which then immediately flushed nearly black… in embarrassment? She leapt off him and began apologizing.

"I am _so_ sorry! I um… hi?" the ghost said sounding super embarrassed. Maybe… ghosts weren't so scary…

"Heh! No sweat! If you like you can take more my legs were getting tired is all! Believe it!" Naruto said swapping from a kneeling position to a cross legged on and allowing blood to return to his feet. "See! There!"

The ghost was silent for a while before speaking. "Do you know what I am?"

Naruto felt a chill as he remembered he was talking to a ghost…

"You're the little girl in the picture, right?" Naruto asked. "You looked cute when you were younger! Believe it!"

The ghost smiled and walked over to the shrine picking up the photo. Naruto couldn't help but feel the ghost felt so… real… like she was a real person… just…

… Naruto hit blunt.

"You're not a ghost, are you?" Naruto asked reality slowly dawning on him. "What the hell! Ugh! Ew and you were moaning pervertedly into my shoulder!"

The 'ghost' flushed black in fury! "I was not you little sicko! I asked first right?! That means I got consent and-!"

"But you didn't have to bite me! You even drooled on my jacket!" Naruto complained.

"Yeah well- I um… Shit!" The girl said looking away embarrassed. "Look, I was just getting something to eat. You happened to give it to me and now-"

"Hey! I was the one that was sexually harassed by a pervert pretending to be a ghost!" Naruto said pointing. "I thought I was trying to appease the spirit of a poor murdered girl!"

The girl seemed to deflate at that. "You wouldn't be too far off the mark…"

There was silence in the shed. Naruto's mind was racing… what was going on?!

"Are you, like… dead? I mean you never said that you were a ghost but are you some kind of other spirit or whatever- Oh shit! I'm sorry if I offended you or-" Naruto said hell she said that she wasn't a spirit or demon but what if she was like some kind of dark god! "Please forgive me!"

The girl just looked away from him as he got into a full bow before her. This was almost as embarrassing as someone getting down on one knee like they were going to propose but they just wanted to ask you to pass the tissues. The girl's face flushed completely black.

"What the hell! Get up you stupid idiot! That's totally embarrassing!" The girl said still looking away from him. "I'm not a spirit or a demon!"

Naruto raised his head looking confused right up into her flustered face.

She was pretty cute when flustered… Spirits dammit brain! Stop!-Stop!-Stop! She could be a freaking evil ogre and eat him!

"Then what are you?" Naruto said before remembering his manners and bowed again. "If you don't mind me asking! Please don't kill me!"

"I just might if you keep bowing like that! Spirits man! I just said to get up!" the girl exploded in embarrassed fury.

Naruto didn't know what to do. On one hand he was dealing with a pervert that just sexually harassed him but on the other hand she clearly wasn't normal…

"I'm… cursed…" the girl continued looking frustrated. "I can't eat normal food and have to live off chakra…"

"Heh? But… why is there a shrine there?" Naruto asked and immediately as the girl's face darkened and she became so… sad looking…

The girl turned away from him. "That's for my parents… before you were disturbing their shrine without permission and then… you came back and offered me Dango… I thought it was sweet and decided to forgive you… but I can't eat it… my body makes me throw it up… I can only eat chakra…"

The girl turned to him again. Her eyes dilated, and she was looking at him like she was starving, and he was an all you can eat buffet.

… when Naruto thought about it…

"So… you need chakra to eat and I have a lot… you must be pretty hungry…" Naruto said slowly.

A dopey, perverted in Naruto's eyes, grin came across her face.

"Right in this moment… this is the first time I have been 'full' in three years…" the girl said closing her eyes and shivering as if savoring something. "It had been far too long…"

Naruto began to feel uncomfortable.

"Well… I guess… your welcome and sorry?" Naruto said getting up completely. His legs were a bit stiff… This whole situation was just too awkward… "I'm gonna go… so…"

"Wait!" The girl said grabbing his arm desperately. "I need you!"

Naruto flushed. "Look… um… you are a pretty girl and all, but I don't think we are compatible and-"

"Ugh! No! Not like that idiot! I mean…" the girl said looking embarrassed again. "I mean… how about a deal… there has got to be something you want right?"

"Like I said! You are a nice girl but I'm saving myself for someone special and-!" Naruto began to say panicking. The girl bopped him on the head… hard.

"Shut your mouth moron! Quit putting perverted shit in my mouth and just listen!" the girl roared. "I can do things! I am going to be a freaking strong ninja, and nothing is going to stop me! There has got to be some kind of deal we can work out!"

Naruto still nursing the lump on his head began to grumble. "I'd like it if you stop hitting me! And quit calling me a moron! I'm gonna become Hokage one day! Believe it!"

The girl got a thoughtful look. "What if I help? There has got to be something I can do to-"

"No way! You're freaking me out!" Naruto said pointing. "You keep looking at me like I am some piece of meat! I feel sexually harassed!"

"Quit it with the pervert stuff! I am twelve! I'm not interested!" The girl shouted getting upset. "I need chakra to survive! You are the first person I have ever met that doesn't get tired after I 'eat'! Please!"

Naruto was conflicted. On one hand he really hated the idea of this girl using him for 'food' but on the other hand… wasn't this exactly like the clone? They needed his chakra to live and having someone to depend on him… it made him feel good…

"Alright…" Naruto sighed. "You can use me to 'eat' but you have to stuff to pay me back! Just nothing perverted okay!?"

"Deal!" the girl said eyes lighting up and smiling. "Please take good care of me!"

* * *

Naruto sighed as he slunk to his apartment. What a day… He was beginning to believe that the Great Spirit was not content with his life being normal. He had left the girl at the training ground and got a bite to eat at Ichiraku's and shot the breeze with the old man.

When he finally opened the door to his apartment, took off his shoes, put the keys on the key rack and turned the lights on he was alarmed to see Pervy Ghost Girl kneeling before the door and waiting for him.

"Good evening!" She said with a bright smile. "I cleaned your house for you!"

"Agh! What the hell! Why are you in my house!?" Naruto said pointing at her. "And what do you mean cleaned it?!"

The ghost girl pouted. "I had to pay you back somehow… so I decided that I was going to cook and clean for you! That oughta be enough work to get one good meal, right? Right! You must be tired! I heated the bathwater!"

The girl really creeping him out.

"No! Back up! You thought that you could pay me back by breaking into my house, violating my privacy and- you know what just get out of here!" Naruto said pointing at the door.

The girl hung her head and obeyed. Naruto thought he could hear sniffing… but he was too irritated to care.

When the door shut Naruto let out an exasperated sigh and began to check the house. True to her word the girl had in fact cleaned his house…

The stain on the ceiling from when he had accidently dropped a pot of ramen and the juices splashed up there was gone, the fridge was clean and organized. The floors were mopped… Checking the bathroom he found the bath water heated perfectly and even the toilet cleaned.

Suddenly Naruto was feeling bad… she really did a lot of work… all so she could have a meal… it wasn't her fault she could only eat chakra… Naruto disrobed and sunk into the bath. It was perfect…

'...but you have to do something to pay me back...'

Naruto sank into the bath water.

What was he supposed to do?

* * *

The next day he found himself at the training ground again… The girl was nowhere to be seen…

Naruto checked the shed, but the tall pale girl was nowhere to be found. He wanted to apologize and see if they could work out a new deal... he hated the idea of leaving her high and dry. He was going to be Hokage one day, he should at least be able to help out a girl that practically only he could help, right? But she was gone.

With nothing to do he decided to train until she came back…

Naruto took a deep breath and practiced the normal Clone Jutsu. If he wasn't going to use Shadow clones on principle, then he should at least learn the regular Clone Jutsu…

Practicing the way they taught at the academy, practice hand signs until he didn't mess it up ten times in row while kneading the chakra required, he got to the real practice. He felt red hot and artic cold energy flow from his stomach up his torso and down his arms as he then began to weave signs. The chakra changes as he wove the required signs and visualized what he wanted to happen. He wanted to make the academy standard of three clones.

The clone jutsu was required to pass as it was one of the hardest jutsu the academy could offer. It required control, skill, ingenuity and focus to use in battle. It was all but the 'ingenuity' part Naruto had trouble with. He… he wasn't skilled, and didn't focus. He wasn't that good with control either, tending to panic if the jutsu didn't work right away and hold back all but a small portion of his strength.

He didn't know why, it was just a habit… in the academy the instructors would tell him that depending on the intensity of the hot and cold in the body one could tell how much chakra was running through it. When Naruto told them what he was feeling in his coils they would always tell him to calm down and focus on the jutsu with less chakra.

So he kept using less and less until… he wasn't sure what would happen if he tried putting in as much charka as he felt comfortable with… he kinda… ended up skipping that class whenever he could after he kept failing… he just knew it would be something bad though!

This time however was different as he _knew_ he could do the Shadow Clone jutsu. Forming as much chakra as felt comfortable with him, he let loose and completed the jutsu.

"Clone Jutsu!" Naruto said and suddenly the field was filled with dozens of malformed clones. No good… He didn't keep focus on the amount or the quality of the image in his mind… this jutsu was way harder than the mental imaging required for the Transformation jutsu!

Again!

Naruto completed the practice kata and then performed the jutsu adding more chakra this time. This time nearly a hundred clones appeared but they were all hazy and kept flickering. And because he couldn't keep his focus, the clones faded quickly.

Again!

Less chakra this time. The clones looked better, but they were devoid of color and literally a squirrel running along the shed distracted him making all the clones pop.

Again!

This time was almost perfect. The chakra seemed to be the right amount, his focus was good, but… he was alarmed when all the clones came out looking like faceless copies of himself and lost control of the jutsu again filling the training area with smoke.

Naruto started to get frustrated. What was wrong with him!? Why couldn't he do the stupid freaking Clone Jutsu!? He had heard Sasuke could even make them move and do maneuvers! He couldn't even get them to appear correctly!

Depressed thoughts filled him mind.

 _You're a loser…_

 _Actually, everyone does hate you…_

 _You shouldn't be allowed to exist…_

 _Can't even do a stupid jutsu…_

 _You are a fool for trying to become Hokage…_

 _You're a monster…_

 _You are too weak to save anyone…_

Naruto shook those thoughts out of his head. He would not let those thoughts control him! He would not let those thoughts govern his life! He was a person! People cared about him!

He never gave up! That was his ninja way!

Naruto charged up his chakra to max allowing the uncomfortable feel of icy hot fire run through his body filling every fiber of his being and began to weave signs.

"Clone Jutsu!" Naruto roared. Literally hundreds of clones appeared but his focus, while potent and angry, wasn't too sharp and Naruto was surrounded by clones who looked like misshapen versions of himself. Naruto decided they would be good enough and willed them to move. And move they did. All of them ran, shambled, to the training post and began to create a massive white cloud as the jutsu dissipated.

Naruto panted. He had actually used a lot of chakra just then… His body felt fine, but his mind was sore like a pulled muscle. Like a tension migraine… It sucked…

Still despite the throbbing in his head he raised his head and built up his chakra again. After the icy hot nuclear blast from last time he could hardly feel this amount. His sense of hot and cold, or whatever sense worked for chakra, was busted as he over shot his own boundaries. Slowly he began to weave signs in the same kata as before, but it took even longer as Naruto was fumbling because of his migraine and getting frustrated that he couldn't do a stupid hand sign ten times in a row correctly.

Gramps could do this shit in his sleep! If he was going to become Hokage there would be no short cuts down the road! He needed to work!

* * *

Naruto would keep practicing until noon… his body finally tired along with his pounding head. The mental effort was what he always had problems with… Focus on the jutsu… Control to gather up the right amount of chakra… Skill to make the illusions move realistically while being mindful of the surroundings like blades of grass or shadows that the illusions just wouldn't interact with… he didn't have that… The Shadow Clone Jutsu was easier because of the Fox.

He didn't need to tell the clone what to be because his soul already knew what form it should take. He didn't need to move it because the clone had a mind of it's own and could act for itself. He didn't need to worry about the clone interacting with anything because they were physical. He didn't need to worry about control because the Shadow Clone Jutsu just split his soul in half. Even a total lummox like him could understand half… Suddenly the idea of using the Shadow Clone jutsu was really tempting… With the Multi-Shadow Clone jutsu he could do this stupid jutsu way better! He would be unstoppable!

But then he remembered his clone. He remembered his experiences and how scared he was… No… he… he couldn't do that… not unless someone precious to him was about to get hurt…

Then he would shatter his soul a million times to save them…

A cold hand touched his shoulder. Naruto blearily opened his eyes. It was the nice Big Sis from the day before.

"Hey sleepy head…" she said with a bright smile. "You look like you've been training hard."

Naruto flushed and sat straight up. She was really too pretty, and it made his head go fuzzy… nope! Nope… that… that was the migraine…

Naruto clutched his head as it felt like he had straight agony punch him in the face…

Big Sis winced in sympathy. "Chakra exhaustion? That must really hurt… why don't you lie down for a bit…"

Naruto was gently moved out of the hot pounding sun and into the shade where he was given some water and… well…

"Comfy?" Big Sis asked with a smile.

Naruto… Naruto's head was resting on her lap… Naruto was so embarrassed that he felt like he was going to die… Naruto nodded hesitantly and got goosebumps when she ran a cool hand through his hair.

"Sorry!" Big Sis said with a big smile. "Couldn't resist! Can I continue?"

Naruto flushed all the way to his ears and nodded. As she stroked his hair with her cold hands Naruto slowly turned into a puddle of goo. If he was a cat, he would be purring… It just felt so… nice…

Big Sis giggled. "Are you feeling better?"

Naruto nodded and turned to look at her. She really was too pretty… he turned away quickly as she leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"I have a favor to ask you…" she whispered. Naruto looked up with wide eyes. She smiled sadly and continued. "The girl who trains here… she is like a daughter to me…"

Naruto shot up out of her lap. "Are you cursed too?!"

Big Sis sighed and beckoned him back. "It's alright. I am but not in the same way… I promise I won't hurt you."

Naruto, still uneasy, laid his head back down… Big Sis began to stroke his hair softly again.

"I have been feeding her my chakra for the last few years and I have never seen her so… alive… as I did last night." Big Sis said softly. "You broke her heart you know… she'll never admit it though. All night she was ranting about how much work she did and kept calling you a lot of names… I don't blame you though… she can be a bit of a brat, overbearing, even scary… but I love her with my whole soul. She told me how she had actually been made full yesterday. I can't feed her too much because I am a ninja. I need my chakra for work… You however… you fed her like it was nothing… I don't want you to get the wrong idea. Sakura would never forgive me if she found out I intervened in her behalf like this… so you don't have to because a pretty big sis said…"

Naruto looked down into her lap… her lap transformed from soft pinkish flesh to pale white.

"I am also cursed." She whispered into his ear. Almost seductively. "I can keep feeding her… but it would require me to unleash my full cursing… We would not be adverse to your aid… one demon to another eh?"

Naruto looked up in alarm. His head was in the lap of one of the most beautiful beings he had seen thus far. Her skin was pale and white dappled with the light streaming from the gaps in the leaves from the trees above. Her eyes a deep golden brown with slit pupils. Her smile help snake like fangs. She was amazing.

"Are you a demon?" Naruto whispered worriedly. Big Sis changed back, however, instantly.

"I am as much of a demon as you are… Sakura on the other hand… my daughter… she is closer." Big sis said with a gentle smile.

"Here is my offer." Big Sis proposed. "How about-"

"I'll do it." Naruto offered looking up at her with bright blue eyes. "For free… you don't need to offer anything. What she did last night is good enough…"

Big Sis smiled and pecked him on the cheek causing the boy to blush deeper. "Cutie… Very well… I will inform her… and Naruto? Thank you…"

Naruto suddenly felt super sleepy and fell asleep on her soft thigh.

* * *

Naruto woke up in his bed confused and disoriented. Kneeling a good distance away from the bed was the ghost girl. She flushed noticing he was awake.

"I have food ready for you." She said not meeting his eyes getting up. "I'll be in your care."

Naruto wiped his eyes. His head ache was nearly gone but his body still felt fatigued. Naruto got up and wandered around his clean house to the table when he saw one of the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. There, on the table was a whole pot of homemade pork cutlet ramen. It was enough to bring tears to his eyes.

"What? Did I make it wrong!?" ghost girl said beginning to panic.

"No, it's fine… I… I've just always dreamed of this you know?" Naruto said wiping his eyes while the girl gave him a nervous stare. "I've been alone for a long time. Gramps, Tiger Mom, Konohamaru, Iruka and the Ichiraku's… they are awesome, but they never really did this you know what I mean?"

The girl for the first time Naruto could remember actually smiled. One born of pure happiness. A wicked grin full of sharp teeth.

"I am glad to serve. My name is Sakura Gurru. Please take good care of me." Sakura said with a bow. "And thanks for the food…"

* * *

 **A/N: Stuff I'd like to talk about in an orderly fashion!**

 **1\. The Abnormal's report…**

 **2\. The nature of Shadow clones!**

 **3\. Konohamaru's youthfulness!**

 **4\. Tiger Mom!**

 **5\. World building- Ninja Monks!**

 **6\. Sakura is a Tsun?**

 **7\. Sakura Maid Sama!**

 **8\. Chakra and the Clone Jutsu!**

 **9\. Big Sis… and seduction?**

 **10\. The start of a beautiful friendship.**

 **11\. Soundtrack?**

* * *

 ***The Abnormal's Report***

 **As you may have guessed by now the Abnormal's Report is a compilation of records found in Orochimaru's labs and various test locations. It is an S-Rank document so not much is known about it other than it's possible existence. The report tells the story of the Gelel Stone, a mad scientist's pursuit of perfection and to cure the illness of his love Okui using the stones, genetic modification, and human testing. It also tells the story of the secondary 'final boss' of the series. I not going to reveal who it might be, but I will say it, in my head, makes sense…**

 **I will be mixing up the report with world building portions much like the commercial break titles of Attack on Titan. Last chapter was a good indication though.**

* * *

 ***The Nature of Shadow Clones***

 **Okay this is going to be a bit of an essay, so you can go ahead and skip it…**

 **Shadow clones in cannon are mysterious thigs. They are shadows but can interact with physical matter much like the Nara clan's jutsu. The cannon evidence of the things I described them doing are in this order.**

 ***Shadow Clones cannot be maintained outside of a certain range, Chapter 13 of the manga page 10. I found that although there are instances, such as War-Arc Naruto and Wood Clones, most clones follow this rule. I will say the maximum effective range is going to be 1-5 miles with some major ninja bullshit such as KCM Naruto and Sage Mode Naruto having hax which feed chakra to the clones outside the original range… as for why this work for wood clones? Hell if I should know… I like keeping Hashirama bullshit away unless I can't help it.**

 ***Shadow Clones transmit memories and experiences they gain back to the caster, Chapter 315 of the manga page 3. This is a major trope in Fanfiction and a major cop out for Naruto learning things faster than anyone else… The problem with this bullshit is that it was made up at that time and we see no evidence of it in the earlier chapters however it is a creative cop out that I like so I will keep it with the stipulation that clones have their own viewpoints and personalities.**

 **An off-topic note: The way Shadow clones are used in Fanfiction is bullshit. Naruto did use clones to practice and master wind style in instead of 3-5 years in 3-4 months. This was him making a shit ton of clones and focusing on just one freaking task! He was training to exhaustion everyday as well! He did not just 'spend an afternoon with 1,000 shadow clones and learn a B-rank jutsu'. I actually find this insulting to the character's work ethic… It's okay to let characters struggle to learn a new skill…**

 ***Shadow Clones having their own view points and personalities, episode 311 titled 'Prologue to Road to Ninja'. In this episode we see that Naruto is playing poker with his clones. They all have his personality and his past memories, but he can't read their minds or cheat well against them. Remember Road to Ninja is a cannon movie… that means it is on the same level as Boruto the Movie, the Naruto Gaiden episodes and what I call the Sarada Special arc in the series. I of course took this to the logical extreme and gave them all a fear of death as well! *Evil cackling***

 ***Shadow Clones split the soul, Chapter 123 of the manga pages 1-19. Shadow clones can be used in conjunction with the Reaper Death Seal to seal more than one target. Now this deals with weird soul magic and weird soul magic is… well weird… in all forms of fiction and is rarely ever defined but we have cannon evidence from the manga that they have souls or can work as substitutions for the souls of the Edo Tensei… Either way, Death God accepts them and that's good enough reason for me!**

 ***Why they are so easy for Naruto to use… I will say I have no cannon evidence for this except the Reaper Death Seal. We learn that the Fox is not necessarily physically sealed inside Naruto's stomach. It is also accessible through his mindscape and his chakra. This leads me to believe that the Nine-tail's soul is connected to Naruto's. This would be total bullshit unless you realize how dangerous shadow clones are and that Naruto should be freaking dead or in an insane asylum.**

 **Having a shit ton of chakra help make the clones, Naruto's sea keeps him anchored, why he is able to keep fighting after getting the living shit kicked out of him is also explained with this train of thought. Naruto has a healing factor, it's not Hidan or Madara level but it's there. He is also able to regenerate stamina through shadow clones as in the Pain fight would be impossible without an instant sage mode reload. Each of his clones are building up and regaining chakra the whole time and whenever one pops the chakra is split amongst all the clones again or goes back to the original.**

 **This means Naruto, if given something like say the Nine-tails which, can through the logic of each of the clones fighting Kimimaro having a Nine-tails amp, the clones when Naruto's main body unleashes three-tails worth of the Nine-tail's chakra say they can feel the original's pain and it burns but that might just be filler- basically, he can just keep regenerating chakra and being this unstoppable juggernaut of chakra…**

 **Shadow clones are pretty bullshit but hey, that's why it's a forbidden jutsu! And everyone can use them! Kiba, random filler characters, high level leaf ninja, freaking Iwa ninja during the third war- wait wasn't this a forbidden technique locked away in the secret Forbidden Scroll?**

 ***Shadow Clone jutsu know by most Multi Shadow Clone jutsu know by few. In almost all the instances above except that random filler ninja and the Iwa ninja we see in the Kakashi chronicles which tell how he got the Sharingan, so cannon… all of them usually can only make one shadow clone… I believe that making one Shadow Clone is known by quite a few high-level ninja but the jutsu's nature and the weakening of one's self to create artificially superior numbers is kind of a dumb tactic, hence why it is used only in recon situations and very rarely in combat. Like… only Kakashi and Kiba… How that one Iwa nin got it I have no freaking idea… maybe I'll work that into the story somehow…**

* * *

 ***Konohamaru's youthfulness!***

 **This whole idea came from a very stupid question. If Naruto was practically raised by The Third Hokage almost as his surrogate grandson… why has the Hokage never mentioned his own family? You would think that Naruto would have at least heard of Konohamaru right?**

 **This put me in a bit of a bind. Konohamaru was supposed to look up to Naruto but the whole character arc was supposed to be, so he learns hard work… Naruto is a known slacker and a bit of a loser…**

 **My solution:**

 **Fun Fact! Ebisu, Konohamaru's tutor, was on the same Genin team as Might Guy!**

 **Then the idea of a seven-year-old in a bowl cut and green spandex trying to be a miniature version of Lee popped into my head and I could not get it out… This is actually a good thing because if Guy and Lee, who Konohamru would look up to now, are firm advocators of hard work being able to overcome all. It fixed Konohamaru's character arc and also gave Naruto some room to grow as a side character rather than an MC.**

* * *

 ***Tiger Mom***

 **Tiger Mom:**

 **The term been used as a neologism used to describe a tough, disciplinarian mother due to the way Amy Chua describes bringing up her children in the strict, traditional Chinese way.**

 **Tiger parenting is strict or demanding parenting. Tiger parents push and pressure their children to attaining high levels of academic achievement, using authoritarian parenting methods.**

 **Rei, Konohamaru's mother, is a total tiger mom… once I heard the term, I couldn't separate it from Rei. This sounds exactly like her style of parenting and explains why Konohamaru has a tutor and is strong enough to by age twelve without being an Uzumaki or Jinchuriki was strong enough to use not only the multi-shadow clone jutsu, but also the Rasengan…**

 **Her strict tough love approach probably pushed the boy to go farther than he would have without it. Maybe a little too hard and that is why he hangs out with Guy and Lee…**

* * *

 ***World Building segment! – Ninja Monks.***

 **Ninja Monks are the followers of the teachings of the Sage of Six Paths and the traditions of Ninshu upon which much of Ninjutsu is based off of. These monks spend years refining their control of chakra to serve people and obtain inner peace.**

 **Though they are called 'Ninja Monks' they are almost the opposite of the Ninja. They are very forward with their intentions and it is against their moral code to lie or steal. They are not pacifists, however. Being loosely based on the Shaolin Monks of China, they gained pull during the Warring States period where they would offer protection from bandits and serve to protect the Daimyo as Ninja at the time were primarily assassins and mercenaries.**

 **Their skills held in common with ninja are their ability to strengthen their bodies with chakra, Tai-jutsu, sealing jutsu and certain aspects of their mysticism reflects concepts of Ninjutsu such as Yin and Yang. They differ however in their use of Ninshu, which has the ability to speak directly to one's heart and very being without words.**

 **With this knowledge of the soul and heart they are excellent diplomats, exorcists, traveling priests, and body-guards. Why Ninshu fell out of favor with the Ninja is because Ninshu requires years of meditation and prayer, subjugating to the spirits and moving up in the very stuffy ranks of the Ninshu Priesthood. An Abbot of a monastery of Ninja Monks is also the same level as a Jonin and not a Kage, however the average level of skill of a Ninja Monk is that of a Chunin, even the novices.**

 **Their creed fell by the wayside as many monasteries became ninja clans. A well-known clan that came from one such situation is the Yamanaka clan. They are considered heretics using forbidden knowledge to take over the mind and souls of their targets. Another well-known clan is the cult of Jashin. These Ninja Monks perverted the ways taught them by the Sage and became obsessed with murder and with their forbidden knowledge they are the arch enemies of the Ninja Monks. Kinda like the Jedi and Sith.**

* * *

 ***Sakura the Tsundere?***

 **Actually she is more a Yandere… *laughs nervously*. She is not a stalker, but she can be brutal, and her love can be a little… possessive… This is mostly because everything she has ever loved has been taken from her at some point… I am not saying she isn't a nice person but her love, if she ever gives it to someone, the best word to describe her feelings… when she does love someone… is… well…** _ **MINE**_ **. Her love is aggressive, ruthless, and caring to a fault. Out of all the girls in the series her love would be the most passionate and the most loyal. A good example of what I am talking about is to imaging Mikasa from Attack on Titan but as lovey-dovey towards their lover as Yuno from future diary.**

 **The whole reason I am bringing this up is that her behavior in this chapter is more typical of a Tsundere… I did this for a major reason… That will be explore next chapter from Sakura's perspective!**

 **Edit: Look at 'The start of a beautiful friendship' at the bottom... I have been merciful... kinda...**

* * *

 ***Sakura Maid Sama!***

 **Sakura in all actuality, cook, clean, and do a lot of house work. She grew up as a latchkey child from a young age and Anko is many things, but a housewife is not one of them. That and she is frequently absent from the house. During this time Sakura would have learned to cook and clean for herself.**

 **Why Sakura decides to break into Naruto's house and clean it? I did this for a major reason… that will be explored next chapter from Sakura's perspective!**

 **No really… it makes no sense now, but it will…**

 **Edit: Look at 'The start of a beautiful friendship' at the bottom... I have been merciful... kinda...**

* * *

 ***Chakra and the Clone Jutsu!***

 **So chakra… how does that feel? I decided since it is based off of Yin and Yang it can be felt as hot and cold energy. It can get uncomfortable and it's 'temperature' can be used to determine the strength. Why Naruto feels a headache along with fatigue is because Chakra is comprised of mental and physical energy. So… I believe it works with concentration and focus along with energy and stamina….**

 **The Clone jutsu was a one-off thing that was never successfully performed by anyone other than Sakura in combat. Seriously… the basics are going to become much more prominent as is hand signs in this series than in cannon. There are so many uses for this it is not even funny… Then I realized how complicated it is compared to the Shadow Clone jutsu and was rather alarmed. I decided to make it a little more focus intensive and requiring mental training, so Naruto can't just dump chakra into the jutsu and 'train harder' physically to get it. It is all a matter of will and doing hard things equals character growth! Yay!**

* * *

 ***Big Sis/Anko and the art of seduction?***

 **Anko believe it or not seduced Naruto in this chapter. Not in the way that people expect and not in the way traditionally understood. Seduction missions in my version of the story can be as involved as actual sex between two consenting adults and wrapping their hearts around your little finger or as uninvolved as simple spy work.**

 **Mainly however seduction missions are missions to make friends, to be kind to them, and to help them so they are more likely to give you information.**

 **Many times seduction missions can involve small children such as a ninja working as a nanny to get information on their parents.**

 **The elderly, where a ninja befriends them or becomes their caretaker to learn about secrets they might hold.**

 **Even animals, where a ninja will befriend guard dogs, so they do not attack the ninja when they break into the places dogs are supposed to protect.**

 **Anko used some very overt seduction tactics such as being kind, helping them, and revealing a non-threatening secret, as well as intimate yet totally platonic pleasure.**

 **It is often a joke among ninja that specialize in seduction to 'Not sacrifice your virginity when a back rub and a bowl of soup will work!'**

 **To answer the obvious: No. This is not a Anko X Naruto pairing. There might be a bit of one sided Anko X Naruto on Naruto's side as he has a nice puppy crush on her now... but it won't be going anywhere.**

* * *

 ***The start of a beautiful friendship?***

 **Basically. Naruto and Sakura didn't have much of a relationship before and now this is almost as good as the 'forced to live together' trope. Why it turned out this way, again, will be explained in the next chapter… in the meantime enjoy the trashy rom-com beginning to their relationship…**

…

...

...

 **Okay fine!**

 **Basically Sakura doesn't feel like she has any worth. She sees herself as a monster and a parasite. Her goal is to work and give back so at least she can make some kind of exchange. She already does this with Anko on some level. In exchange for not hurting anyone and trusting Anko, she can live in Anko's house.**

 **With Naruto, however, it's not a need but a want. She wants to feel full. She wants to have a little more freedom from authority figures such as Anko and the Hokage.**

 **S** **he wants an abundant source of chakra to eat. She wants so much it hurts so she is all over any way that she can get more of that sweet Uzumaki/Jinchuriki level chakra…**

 **Sakura doesn't consider herself useful for anything but can cook and clean… and she goes for it! She wants to make a deal with Naruto that if she can have some of his sweet chakra then she can be useful to him… trying to prescribe any worth to herself other than a monster.**

 **When Naruto rejected her offer it was heartbreaking. She was nothing but a monster and a parasite again… she had no worth other than killing fools. But then he accepted her offer and she is incredibly content… for now… next chapter we meet Sasuke and that will be an interesting dynamic…**

 **While Sakura accepted that she is a monster... she also wants to feel like a person as well... she is very conflicted...**

* * *

 ***Soundtrack?***

 **Okay… I am one of those weirdos that likes to listen to music when I write. My question is does anyone want a copy of the soundtrack I write to or what I consider character themes? Let me know!**

 **Thank you!**


	18. Rewriting History

**Chapter 18: Rewrite History**

* * *

 **A/N: Short chapter since this is right before Christmas and I have shit to do but wanted to do something… I have a very serious note at the end of this and I want to take a poll. It is really important so please vote. Poll open until Dec 31st, 2018.**

 **The chapter below is set up and a filler at the same time. Please enjoy.**

 **Thank you,**

 **Ghostwriter**

 **A/N: A decision has been made. Thank you all for reading.**

* * *

' _The way is set. I have created a working jutsu… I will see Okui again… '_

Clip of Audio found amongst static, The Abnormal's Report

* * *

Cloaks rustled as Sasori and Deidara moved. It had been only around a month since he had joined the Akatsuki and he found he actually liked it. Sure there was a mission every once in awhile that was total bullshit but often times there was plenty of time to train with his art.

Sasori was also a cool dude and Deidara had grown to like the midget.

Deidara smirked thinking of the first time he saw the guy without his, admittedly pretty cool, puppet armor. The guy looked his age! Ha!

"Hey Sasori, my man, when am I gonna meet this Leader guy hn?" Deidara asked. "You said we'd be meeting him today but it's nearly nightfall."

Sasori shuffled along in his armor. "We have to meet up with Zetsu and get a ring. Once you have that you will be a full member of the Akatsuki. Then you may meet the Leader."

Deidara looked dubiously at his shorter companion. "What's so special about a ring? Is it like the one you wear?"

Sasori nodded. "It's part of Leader's jutsu. We can communicate with him anywhere in the world with it. Even transmit chakra like we are actually there. It is an amazing jutsu that I eagerly wish to reverse engineer. Imagine being able to control a puppet remotely from hundreds of miles away!"

"That does sound pretty cool…" Deidara said thoughtfully. "I like to be there in person to see the explosions though. Beauty is fleeting and deserves to be seen up close."

Deidara smirked as Sasori growled. He loved pushing the guy's buttons…

"Beauty is eternal, immortal, untouchable by time. That is true art. My creations shall outlive me and shall be the awe of the Five Nations." Sasori said.

"Nah… My man Beauty is a burst of life, living so violently, so passionately and then poof… nothing but ashes." Deidara said. "It is like the human condition. I do not expect to live forever but when I go, I pray that it will be before my time in a massive explosion of life!"

"Except humans are vile ugly things. They rot and crumble. My art never will. It will be mystifying like an ancient tree filled with wisdom or the mountains ever eternal themselves." Sasori said.

"But mountains erode." Deidara said matter-of-factly. "Trees rot from the inside out. True art cannot have such corruption."

"Indeed. But imagine a life untouched by time, a creation without end that functions as perfectly as the day it was created… To me that is beauty." Sasori said.

"Eh. Agree to disagree?" Deidara asked looking at the approaching figure. It was a man with… carnivorous plants parts coming out of him… half of him was white and the other half black. "Is that the guy?"

"The answer to your quandary is a cherry blossom tree." It said in a mild tone. " **One-part eternal and ever beautiful but the other a blossom so fragile and so full of life that it bursts into nothingness and is forgotten until the next year…** "

The last part was said in a tone as deep as Sasori's puppet voice and echoed with ancient evil. Dammit… why was everyone in this organization so weird?

"Hn… yeah I can see that…" Deidara begrudgingly agreed. Cherry blossoms were okay even if the tree itself was ugly as shit. The weird ass plant-man held out a ring catching Deidara's attention.

"With this ring you are now part of the Akatsuki in full. **May you always dwell in the shadow of the Red Dawn**." The guy said. Deidara let out a breath and took the ring and placed it on the finger he was told to.

"Now just build your chakra and you will speak with Leader. It helps to meditate." Sasori explained. Deidara obeyed and was surprised by the odd wringing sound. It was static-y and rang like a phone. When Deidara closed his eyes he could see the inside of a cave and several figures. When he opened his eyes he could see normally. Plant man and Sasori were sitting meditating with their eyes closed so Deidara did likewise.

The figures were strange. They looked like silhouettes wrapped in rainbows… Deidara blinked. That was a weird sentence…

A figure appeared in the center with ringed eyes and spiky hair.

" _Thank you those of you have been able to make it. Kakazu and Hidan are away on a bounty hunting mission. Kisame, where is Itachi? "_ the figure spoke.

Kisame inclined his head. " _A thousand apologies Leader, Itachi over strained his eyes today and is resting…_ "

The figure, the Leader of the Akatsuki, nodded. " _Understood. Tell him to get better. I have a mission for you two after this, but first I would like to welcome our newest member Deidara the Mad Bomber. His feats include destroying half of The Village Hidden in the Stones in a single night and defeating the Tsuchikage's son in his escape. We expect great things from him._

" _Deidara. Your mission in the Akatsuki is to defeat the Five Elemental Nations and rob them of their Jinchuriki. This Operation Tsukiomi. We are to create world peace through our actions. I do not expect you to be anything other than destroying angels in this crusade, but I will ask you keep the dress code. The dress code is as such, you will wear your robe we provided you, it has seals which aid in recovery and I am told they are quite comfortable. You will wear nail polish and wear the ring you were given as it aids us in our communication. You will also be permitted a wide brimmed hat if the weather is too hot or you need to be inconspicuous. You are part of the Akatsuki now and you must look the part as your actions reflect on all of us. Strike fear and terror into the hearts of your enemies and leave none alive whom cross you…_

" _The code of ethics we keep is loose, but we do have one. Rule one is keep the dress code. Rule two is to attempt to act professionally. Finally you will stay with your partner, protect them, and give them aid when required. If you cannot get along with them then we will see about a transfer or a temporary partnership. You do not ditch your partner. You do not kill your partner unless they are a traitor. Any other reason is punishable by being stabbed through the heart… You do not torture or reduce your partner's effectiveness in the field. You do not attack them unless they are attacking you in any other facet other than sparring. You will not attempt to kill your partner during sparring. You will not poison your partner to 'build his tolerance' unless he asks. You will not experiment new jutsu on your partner unless he is immortal. You will not-"_

And the list went on as Deidara began looking incredulously at the figures in the room.

" _Finally you will not enter into any sexual relations with your partner even if it is consensual_." Leader finished. _" Do you have any questions?"_

Deidara gulped. " _Ah… when do we start? I mean I heard we had a Tailed Beast back in Stone but is there any order we attack?"_

" _There is. We must either start or finish with the Nine-tailed fox of The Leaf Village. The others are inconsequential the order we capture them_." Leader said.

" _Okay. I'll just go bomb The Leaf Village_." Deidara shrugged. _"_ _I can get that done in a week with the right passwords. Sasori can come in and use his sick poison to take out the Jinchuriki and if you like that Kakazu and Hidan can join in to keep the Hokage at bay…"_

The room was dead silent.

" _Can you explain your plan in more detail?"_ Leader asked.

So Deidara did.

Basically Hidan and Kakazu would cause a distraction at the gates. They were immortal and could take a lot of punishment. Deidara would fly above the city and drop off Sasori who would use his poison to incapacitate ninja and actually capture the Nine-tails who was bound in his host. Sasori would then be picked up by Deidara who would be causing more distractions by bombing and crippling parts of the village infrastructure, effectively neutering the village, and before he left dropping a C-2 bomb which was potent enough to destroy the rest of the village. Then they high tail it out of there and hit Sand much the same way.

" _Itachi and Kisame would be good to capture the Six and Three tails from Mist and the Seven tails can be taken by myself and my man Sasori_." Deidara finished.

Leader stared him down and Deidara was looking uncomfortable as silence reigned.

" _Why _don't _we do that?"_ Kisame asked.

"Because I called dibs." A new voice said.

This one was not a silhouette. He was a fat man with large sunken eyes, and a smirk on his mustached face.

" _ **How did you get in here**_ _?"_ Zestu demanded. " _This location was secured before we got here."_

"Easy I suppose, but that's not why I'm here…" The man said. "I come on behalf of my employer Shingetsu, leader of Byakuren the White Lotus with a message for the Leader of the Akatsuki, Lord Pain."

Leader-Pain's eyes narrowed. _"And what would that be?"_

"Cease and desist Operation Tsukiyomi or there shall be war." The man said. "Not a war between nations or peace. But constant war from us, Byakuren. We will not stop. We will not sleep. We are watching and waiting your answer."

Pain was silent as he stared the man down. " _We will not stop_."

The man bowed with a flourish. "Then there shall be a never-ending war between the Akatsuki and Byakuren."

Pain looked angry… well as angry as a rainbow silhouette with rainbow eyes can look…

" _We are trying to create peace. You cannot defeat us_." Pain declared. " _If you come looking for a fight then you shall know pain…"_

"Ah ah ah!" The man said wagging a finger. "Let's be honest here… You are looking for a false peace. One that is caused by fear and suffering. A dream that will only turn into a nightmare. I know what the war cost you. I will say this only once more. Continue and you will have a never-ending war between us. We know what your plans are, we know who your members are, and we have countermeasures. Do. Not. Continue."

Pain had, had enough. "Almighty Push!"

The man was suddenly blasted through the solid granite wall and out the other end in a mighty explosion.

"And like that the war begins." The man said suddenly behind Pain. Pain's eyes widened. When did he-?

" _What's your name. "_ Pain demanded. It wasn't a question.

"I go by many names… but the one you would most likely recognize is Mukade." The man said. Deidara saw Sasori perk up a bit. "Well… Ciao!"

And like that it was like he never existed.

Sasori and Kisame looked to a totally silent Pain.

" _Dumb question but… Mukade_?"

" _The Red Centipede: Mukade is an urban legend in the Land of Wind. It was said he once controlled the Land of Sky solely with his puppets but… Hmm… like I said. He is a myth. The Land of Sky while it exists in our legends it is merely a story told by the locals to explain the Land of Ruins…" _Sasori explained.

" _But who was Mukade supposed to be? "_ Deidara said.

" _Tch… He was known as the unofficial king of that land. The story goes he confounded the monarchy and enslaved them turning them into human puppets… I will admit that the legend of this man inspired some of my earlier works._ " Sasori grumbled. " _That is why it is hard for me to believe that a fictional man from a fictional city would exist. I believe it is just a name to intimidate us with but at the same time… he would only really know that tale if he was from Sand and only go by it if he wanted to strike fear into a child. It doesn't make much sense."_

" _Who ever he is he was able to get behind me. "_ Pain said. " _Zetsu…_ "

" _I have it all recorded. I will get you an image… "_

" _Good."_ Pain said. " _In the meantime we must prepare to meet this threat and crush him under the might of a God. Deidara your plan will be put on hold for now. Let us take care of some pests first…"_

:

Mukade smirked as he walked upon a surface of white.

That went well…

He didn't antagonize them too much and they just up and declared war… for a pacifist that Pain guy was pretty warmongering… Reaching a certain spot he sunk through the floor to get to where he needed to be.

While most of the operatives were strong enough to take on the Akatsuki there were a few questionable exceptions.

Shin Uchiha, as he was going by now, nearly died in a fight against the man known as Jiraiya after all. Only his stupid level of durability and the fact he could perform surgery on himself underground was the only reason he was alive. While he was not the most durable of the ninja under his command Shin was probably the best suited for a spymaster after himself. His clones, his eyes and even his stupid seals were all well and good for a spymaster...

Finally reaching his desired location, he bowed before the supreme leader who stood upon a dais of white light.

"My Lord, Shingetsu." Mukade said in full prostrated bow.

A single eye blazed, staring down upon him.

"Report." He said simply.

"My lord the Akatsuki will not cease their plans, however, I believe I managed to dissuade them from just up and blowing up the city for the Nine-tails." Mukade said.

"Good." Shingetsu, Lord of Byakuren said. "I take it Pain was not happy."

Mukade smirked. "For a stoic man as him he was positively frothing."

"Did you use any of your abilities?" Shingetsu asked.

Mukade looked uncomfortable. "I may have used a Flying Thunder God seal… but it was already in the cave! I just happen to use it!"

Shingetsu's single eye blazed down upon him. Mukade felt like his soul was being examined. He gulped.

"Did anyone recognize it?" Shingetsu asked mildly. There was no malice or even anger in his tone.

"Doubtful, I made sure Itachi, the masked man and Kakazu were not there. No one else would even possibly would have run into a Flying Thunder God user… until today…" Mukade said recognizing his blunder with barely concealed horror. It the Akatsuki got their hands on the seal… all could be lost! What was worse is that he might've revealed a jump point!

Shingetsu looked down. "I see. I am disappointed Mukade."

"Forgive me Lord Shingetsu…" Mukade said in full prostration. He had made a huge mistake. Shingetsu was going to kill him!

"Mukade…" Shingetsu said slowly walking off the dais he had been standing on and gently placed a hand on Mukade's back. Mukade rose and found Shingetsu's blazing blue eye smiling at him. Mukade's heart was filled with peace. "You did well. As for your mistakes… you are forgiven. As many times as my people will ask my forgiveness, that many times I will forgive. Go and try not to make any more mistakes okay?"

Mukade was left in awe as Shingetsu stalked off behind him and disappeared. Mukade felt… peace… Shingetsu… he was astounding…

Mukade had met and even been many a man whole ruled by fear and hatred and duty. Shingetsu was so gentle, yet so passionate… Even that idiot Shin obeyed him and was calm in his presence… He had never met a man like Shingetsu in all his travels.

Mukade got up slowly.

Time for part two of this operation…

* * *

Black Zetsu was examining the mark on the cave floor when suddenly he was hit in the head from behind. Falling to the floor he growled. He lifted his head to get a better view but someone stomped on his head with such force that his skull cracked and he was-

Mukade stood over he fresh black corpse. He was almost regretting the fact he had to reset everything... Oh well... the Akatsuki could never know of this jutsu.

"Purple Art: Sands of time." Mukade intoned hollowly and a enormous purple seal exploded from the ground around him.

Maybe this time around... he could give Shingetsu a happy ending... He was going to hell anyways. Might as well help someone bound for heaven.

* * *

A/N: Okay here we are… sorry about the shorter chapter. I know you guys usually don't stay for the long Author's notes but this is really important to me as the writer…

I have been re-reading my story recently and have discovered it has some flaws I cannot ignore. I will go over some flaws I see and then call a vote. I want to know what you would think if I were to fix them or not to fix them.

Like I said before… I am willing to admit my mistakes and then change them not just complain about them.

I would like you as the reader who has made it this far to leave me a vote or just let me know what you think.

I won't be 'on hiatus until I get more reviews'. I like reviews but that's just stupid... I will still write this story no matter what anyone says, I just would like to know your opinions before I go off on my own out of respect.

Should I work with what I got, or should I change it? I am leaning toward a revision or rewrite, but I hate it when my favorite story goes away because they 'lost the motivation to write'.

Like I told Nanami, I chained my muse to the basement foundation. I WILL continue if you guys really want but I feel as the writer that my work has been subpar so far.

Here are some options:

1\. Heavy revision.

I can do some pretty heavy revisions to the existing work and try to make it better while continuing the same plot despite its flaws. This will rework some plot points, remove/ reduce author's notes and make the series as a whole better...

2\. Rewrite.

I can rewrite the story that I have and write it better in a separate story. This would even work narratively as I have a character that can rewrite timelines. They could see the timeline and rewrite it and I could have a chapter titled Déjà vu or something. This would mean the story is still cannon but that things will go differently in this timeline... The new story would be marked Part 1 and this one will be marked Prologue. The series would have been rewritten with some occasional references to the prologue like the Abnormal's report asking shit like 'have you ever had a feeling of Deja vu' like Tracer...

3\. Continue we love your work as is.

I can just keep writing and follow this crazy train to the end. If you guys really want this option then I can remove this chapter's author's notes and work on rewriting it into something more substantial.

* * *

Honestly, you can vote however you want but I would appreciate your vote even if it is a flame. I will be more than happy to hear what you have to say. Beginning of the year will be the day I decide what I am doing so the poll is open until then…

Any way you all vote... you all have been amazing and I love seeing you all enjoying the story even if it is just in my mind's eye...

Let me know what you think, and I hope you have a Merry Christmas!

A/N: Poll now closed. A decision has been decided. Thank you for reading!


	19. Deja Vu

Chapter 1?: Déjà vu…

* * *

A/N: Full Author's note below doing something really different! Please Fallow Favorite and Review!

A/N: If you have been redirected here from the first chapter thank you for reading! It is going to get Kingdom Hearts level weird from here on out but hang in there!

A/N: Shout out to everyone who voted! Thank you all so much! Love your input!

* * *

'Do you ever get that feeling of Déjà vu?' a woman asked.

'Yeah… but it is usually something menial…" a man responded not really paying attention to her.

'But like, remembering specific events?' the woman pressed. "Sometimes it's pretty strong! Like I remember having this conversation!"

'Hmm… I believe the Uchiha have something like that in a smaller scale. Precognition. Something about reading people's body language. Maybe we have just had this conversation.' The man dismissed as he continued to work.

'You could read a bit of my body language you know…' the woman said suggestively.

'I'm working on your cure…' the man said with a sigh.

'That's never stopped you before.' The woman crooned.

'Hmm… troublesome woman.' The man grumbled.

'Hey, I- Eep!' the woman yelped.

Audiocassette # 2, Lab 43 transcript notes – The Abnormal's Report

* * *

Sakura ran through the forest not letting herself cry until she reached her destination. Running around tall trees Sakura finally found the spot. She slowed to a walk and went in through a small entrance of a hollow tree. There was a string of paper flowers over the entrance.

"I'm home." Sakura muttered tapping one of the flowers as she enter and began to sniff.

She hurried inside and shut the small door. Sitting on the floor she took a moment to let her sadness come over her finally. She began to weep as she thought about what had transpired.

Sakura had always had a problem talking to people normally. It led to her being picked on for being shy and they would make fun of her looks most of all. That all changed when she made friends Ino.

She was passionate and bombastic in a way that made people like her. Her father was an important person in the village and bullies tried not to mess with Ino if they could help it. Sakura felt so moved that Ino was willing to help her she practically became Ino's little lackey. Feeding her compliments, helping her with homework, making her special cookies, and the like.

Sakura didn't want to lose her one and only friend. Ino loved this kind of attention and Sakura quickly became one of her favorites. Eventually however Sakura felt her friend's attention waver and she began to hang out with other girls more often. It had all started when Sakura mentioned that she thought Sasuke was cute. Sasuke was, in her opinion, one of the coolest kids ever. Everyone seemed to like him, but she was finally confronted by Ino today.

* * *

"Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke… It is all you ever talk about anymore!" Ino said in irritation.

"Well…I…I just think he is cool that's all…" Sakura said with a small blush. Inside she was squealing that he was the cutest ever and that she felt like hugging him would be the best feeling ever.

"What, do you like, like him?" Ino asked.

"I…Um…I…" Sakura stuttered feeling her face heat up. Yes... Sakura was head over heels...

"Well…I guess I don't have any competition from you so…" Ino said thinking about it out loud.

"What's that supposed mean?" Sakura asked confused. Sakura was starting to get a bad feeling.

Ino considered her for a moment. "All girls are kind of like flowers. Remember how the Hokage told us about the village being like a tree? Well I'm one of the flowers that will make the tree pop! And you…well you are still just a bud. Sasuke is bound to notice me more in the end."

"Your saying... I'm not good enough?" Sakura said slowly shocked her friend would tell her that.

"Well, I was trying to break it to you nicely, but... You didn't already know? I swear I thought I already told you this… huh… Well…" Ino said folding her arms. "You are going to be cute one day, but for now you are still in that awkward little kid stage. Sasuke is more likely to pat you on the head like a cross eyed kitten he found then kiss you like his lover.

"You also have no prospects going for you, even if you get cute later on. I am the heiress to the Yamanaka clan, while you are a civilian born with no specialty and no history. It's nothing personal just a fact. Yeah, your mother's family may have been here from the founding of the village, but they weren't even government stationed officials. They were foot soldiers sent to accompany the nobles.

"They're not rich either. Yuki's family is civilian too, but they are also heiresses to several main supply stores in the village and thus have hefty dowries. So… no looks, history, or even money. You likely have little to no chance."

Sakura froze. Then her eyes began to well up in tears. Ino patted her head.

"If you want to prove me right just try confessing your feelings to Sasuke. I'm just trying to help you understand before you get hurt being rejected. Being told you are not good enough by a friend hurts a whole lot less than being told you aren't good enough by the one you like. Trust me." Ino said with a smile. "See! Aren't I the best?"

Sakura had been silent for a moment before running off. Now, she was here and crying her eyes out…Sakura felt pathetic. After she managed to calm down, she wiped her tears as a single thought formed in her mind.

She got up and decided to go back and prove Ino wrong!

* * *

"Um…Sasuke…I…just wanted…" Sakura began blushing furiously. She had never done this before, and her heart was hammering like crazy.

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked looking up from his book. He was…adorable. Raven black hair, and deep, deep black eyes that seemed like she they could hypnotize her…

"I wanted to ask you…to… um…" Sakura stuttered out.

Sasuke closed the book. "Look. I won't waste my time with someone weaker than me. Get strong then come back."

Sakura blushed furiously and ran out of the room at top speed leaving Sasuke in her dust.

Sasuke looked confused. Didn't she already challenge him? Tch. Coming back here without even training… If people were going to challenge him the way Naruto did then he needed to make sure they could fight on his level.

Sasuke shrugged. It was time to get back to training…

* * *

Kizashi was a good father, albeit a bit wild and crazy.

He preferred the word passionate...He had gotten home late to see his wife nearly barrel him over as he tried to walk inside.

"Sakura! You're not Sakura! Kizashi where is our baby!?" Mebuki yelled in a panic looking around wildly.

"Wha-?! How should I know! I just got back! Wasn't she with you?" Kizashi yelled back getting up and following his wife as she ran out the door.

"Well let's look for her!" Mebuki called starting to run down the street.

"Alright! Let's find her! Where did you see her last?" Kizashi said seriously trying to keep up with his wife as she kept calling Sakura's name trying to find their lost daughter.

Mebuki stopped and thought for a minute, Kizashi finally getting through to her. Mebuki took a deep breath and re-focused. "I remember going to work and she had already left. That means I haven't seen our baby girl in over a day. I feel like such a bad mother…"

"Nonsense Mebuki! You are a wonderful mom! You could say your Superwonmom!" Kizashi said laughing at his own joke. He loved puns and Dad-jokes...

"Honey this is no time for jokes! Our daughter is missing!" Mebuki said snapping out of her momentary

"Alright baby! Let's go save our little daughter!" Kizashi said beginning to speed ahead before he was caught short.

"What?!" Mebuki demanded.

Kizashi thought about it. "I think she is over in that training field… you know the one I helped her set up?"

Mebuki looked puzzled. "She hasn't used that for weeks."

"Call it a hunch." Kizashi said with a smile. His wife looked at him curiously before nodding.

"You check there, and I will check around the neighborhood." Mebuki said.

"You do that." Kizashi said starting off to the fort he helped his daughter make.

* * *

Sakura was passed out sleeping when her father found her outside some ways from his daughter's secret base. It was a small place out in the middle of nowhere, so it took some time getting there.

"Found her!" Kizashi said picking Sakura up in his arms. She was still damp with sweat and smelled a bit. "Looks like our little warrior has been training hard..."

She probably had chakra exhaustion but Kizashi wasn't too worried about it. Chakra exhaustion could in fact be deadly, but it was pretty clear Sakura had the 'pass out with exhaustion' kind rather than the 'life-threatening kind'.

Kizashi considered his little daughter and smiled. "She will definitely be sore for a few days, but you know what they say about cherry blossoms. Though they seem fragile, they come back every year!"

Kizashi considered the tree before him. It had a few indents in it.

"Sakura is amazing when she puts her mind to it…wonder what got her so riled up?" Kizashi said thinking aloud again.

Kizashi examined the injuries on her legs as he walked. " Her skin has been rubbed raw... I think she will need to see a doctor for it. Well... there goes my bonus... and that was gonna be my beer money… "

She unconsciously snuggled into his shoulder. Kizashi smiled and kissed her forehead. "Well… it's all worth it in the end. Let's get you home..."

* * *

Sakura had been taken to the Konoha Hospital the next day. Sakura had been given the talking-to of a life time as her mother reprimanded her for training too hard. Sakura had never been to a chakra healer and watched in awe as her skin healed and her bones realigned under the direction of the medic-ninja.

"Alright Ms. Haruno you are good to go!" the medic said with a smile. She had healed up all Sakura's cuts and scrapes. There weren't even any scars! Sakura was slightly mystified by the glowing green chakra she had used. Sakura even got a lollipop!

Her mother led her back home through throngs of people. It was almost time for the 'Fourth's Festival'.

The Fourth Hokage was remembered as a hero who defeated the Nine-tailed Fox after it nearly destroyed the village eight years ago. It had started off as a ceremony for the many shinobi who had died in the battle, but ended up being a special festival day for the villagers. Those who had died were still remembered, but they were usually remembered on the Memorial Day, and civilians like Sakura didn't really go to those.

She was excited for the Fourth's Festival. There were balloons, street vendors, food, little games like pin-the-tail-on-the-fox, and kids hearing stories about the past Hokage. Since the festival was in a few days people were already getting ready.

"Sakura," Her mother said as they walked. "Why did you want to become a ninja? Hmm… let me guess… you like the challenge, right?"

"Yeah!" Sakura said lighting up. "It feels good to do something really hard and look back and think 'I did it!' I managed to do that in my training yesterday and it felt so good! I just kept going and going… 'course I should probably be more careful since I ended up in the hospital..."

"Huh…I seem to remember you not liking to do hard things like chores." Mebuki said teasingly.

Sakura slumped at the mention of chores. When they walked back to the house, she was sure she would be getting it for skipping out on her chores all day to go train with in the woods.

"Chores are too easy…" Sakura protested lamely. "I'm going to be a super-cool ninja one day and I have to go do laundry?"

Mebuki sighed. "Super-cool ninjas still need to do their laundry…"

Sakura and her mother kept walking as Sakura scrunched up her face. "How'd you know I liked the challenge?"

Mebuki was quiet a moment before bopping her daughter on the head lightly. "Mother's intuition."

* * *

Sakura and Mebuki finally reached the house and Sakura was sent to work on laundry while Mebuki started dinner. After dinner Mebuki was curled up on the couch with Sakura in front of her as she brushed her daughter's hair preparing for bed. It was one of the few days Mebuki had off to be able to do something like this. She regretted not being home for their little girl, but bills needed to be paid... Mebuki knew it was selfish, but she started to worry that one day she would come home, and Sakura wouldn't be there... she would be dead on some mission... Mebuki didn't know if she could handle that kind of pain again...

"Sweetie…I need to tell you something…" Mebuki said softly.

Sakura turned to look up at her with those big, bright green, beautiful eyes. "What is it Mommy?"

"I've been thinking, and I don't think it is very safe for you to be a ninja anymore." Mebuki said. "I'll be pulling out of the ninja program."

"WHAT?!" Sakura said standing up. "Mommy! You can't do that!"

"Sit down, Sakura!" Mebuki commanded furiously.

Sakura flinched and sat back down slowly. Inwardly she was fuming, but she kept a collected face, so her mother could explain. Mebuki began brushing her hair once more.

"Look dear. It may come to some news to you, but during the Third Shinobi War, I was drafted into the academy." Mebuki said matter-a-factly. Sakura was shocked as she had never heard this story before… at least she didn't think she had… it must have been a long time ago…

"I was top of my grades, but I just wasn't cut out for it, you know? Something you and I share is our chakra control. Remember all those exercises I made you do before you went into the academy?" Mebuki asked. Sakura nodded slowly. Sakura had done them thinking they were some kind of game her mother and her would play together. If she did well, she would get a candy, or a big hug, or something along those lines.

"Soon your chakra control will be near perfect like mine is. You and I were able to achieve this because we have very low chakra reserves. More control at the cost of very little power." Mebuki said wistfully. "I was very similar to how you are right now. I thought being a ninja would be fun, or cool, that there would be cute boys."

Sakura flushed under her mother's knowing look. Her mother looked down, seemingly lost in her own memories.

"That was until I met a woman that would later be my rival. Her name was Yoko... We were about the same age... While she had terrible control at first, she had so much chakra, I could hardly believe it. Then I met Aiko... She was an orphan from the previous war, but had chakra, and chakra control to spare. They were both deadly kunoichi. Both made Jonin. Both are dead now." Mebuki said, suddenly looking much older. "Even such powerful women died…"

"I don't want you to die before me." Her mother continued in a quiet voice. "So please…please give up on this stupid dream and stay with me. I know living as a civilian can be tough, especially as a woman, but your father and I can still find you a nice husband, scrape together a dowry... You won't ever have to watch your friends die in front of you... Never have to fight for your life, never have to work every day just to be strong enough to get up, and nearly get yourself killed once again... so just stay with me and-"

Sakura couldn't take it anymore. She got up and ran to her room slamming the door. Her mother's words echoed in her mind. Sakura could just see it now. Growing up safe and happy with an accountant for one of the local shops, maybe a restaurant, or shrine owner. Growing old with all the little children around her…having to send them off to war. No! She would be strong because that was just who she was! She was-

An image of a tall lanky girl with shark teeth was smiling at her. And like that the vision ended. Sakura stared into the open air.

What had that been about?

It was enough to shock Sakura out of her self-depression.

She was going to be a ninja- no! Not just a ninja! A hero! A person who protects the innocent! She'd be amazing! But… her mother didn't approve… and that sent her back into a depression like no other.

* * *

Sakura thought long and hard about it, and she wasn't even completely sure until her father walked through the door having worked late. He sat down in the entry way sitting with a tired thunk as he began taking off his muddy sandals and relaxed his exhausted body on the steps. Sakura saw her mother from the banister and she looked like she had been crying. Her mother talked to her father quietly with a depressed look on her face. Noticing Sakura watching them, Kizashi looked up and waved her over. Her mother left in a frustrated huff. Kizashi just looked confused.

"Hey baby girl, do you know what's got your mother in a funk?" Kizashi asked calling her to him. "Did you guys have a fight?"

Sakura ran down and hugged him, crying into his coat. She felt lost and confused and just wanted to know if everything would be okay... "Mommy says I need to give up being a ninja…she says she doesn't want me to die, but I don't think that is right! I wanna be strong! I'm gonna be a hero! Daddy…what do I do?"

Kizashi hugged his crying child and pulled her up on his lap as he held her close. "Do you know why we named you Sakura?"

"You named me after the cherry blossoms…" Sakura hiccuped.

"Yes. That and it was an amazing pun... 'Cherry Blossoms of Spring' coming after 'Omen of Spring' and 'Flower Buds of Spring'. Born with bright pink hair and everything! I couldn't resist..." Kizashi said with a chuckle. "Don't tell your mother that though..."

Sakura partly laughed and partly wanted to hit her dad on the head for naming her like that. She had heard this before…

"Well... it is a good thing your mother named you then... You know how the cherry blossoms always open around your birthday? Well you were just born, and the flower viewing festival had just started. There was a special ceremony held for those of us civilians who had lost loved ones in the night of the Nine-tails attack. Now it is called 'Memorial Day'. To remember those who died they compare their loved ones to cherry blossoms. How beautiful they were when they are alive and how fragile that life is…Your mother was deeply moved and together we called you 'Sakura.' In this case your name could mean 'Fragile hope of Spring coming after a long winter.' Your mother has clung to that hope.

"Mommy is a complicated lady, but I love her anyways." Her father said with a smile. He looked at his precious daughter who looked like she was weighing her options and sighed. "If you still want to become a ninja…I won't stop you. Technically your mother has no power over that fact as I am the head of the household. That and you have been contracted in for the next few years at least to serve in the ninja academy. Now I'm just an old farmer at heart…but I say if you have a dream, go chase it down. I saw the power you have now, and I can already see you have more chakra right now then your mother did finishing the academy. You can do it. Us Haruno's just don't know when to give up. I think that is why your mom likes me so much." He added with a waggle of his eyebrows. "That or the mustache."

Sakura hugged her father tightly and thanked him profusely. "I promise I'm gonna be a hero! I'll make you proud Daddy!"

"You already have." He said. "Now get to bed!"

He smiled as his little girl beamed at him and scampered up the stairs. They grew up so fast...

* * *

Later, after Sakura had fallen asleep, Mebuki approached Kizashi as he relaxed his tired body in his chair, staring through the window at the lights that lit up the village at night with a beer.

"Did you convince her not to do it?" Mebuki asked. She was fearful that her little girl would die in a trench somewhere.

"Nope." Kizashi said popping the 'p' and taking another dreg.

"Why not!?" Mebuki erupted. "Do you want to see our daughter killed?!"

Kizashi looked at Mebuki critically then sighed. "Because it is her dream... Kids can have those... I thought we already talked about this…"

"But if she keeps going down this crazy path then-" Mebuki said nearly shouting. Kizashi rose up and kissed her taking her off guard.

"Hey." Kizashi said holding her round the waist like he hadn't in a while. Mebuki tried to look away but she was captivated by his large baby blues. "Do you remember how we met?"

Mebuki sighed looking away into her husband's shoulder. "You found me crying because one of my friends died... You tried to get me to laugh with one of your dumb jokes... I believe I threw a shoe at you…"

Kizashi chuckled, beginning to stroke her hair as she trembled in his arms, looking so vulnerable..."Mebuki my love, you are a worry wart to the core, but I love you like a fat kid loves his dumplings and a drunk loves his rice wine…but, I know our baby girl is going to survive this... and if not…"

Mebuki's breath hitched at this.

"She'll be a hero willing to lay down her life for her friends... and what she believes in... Just like Aiko...Just like Yoko..." Kizashi said softly as his wife finally broke down into tears. "And if she fails at her dream, we'll be there to catch her if she falls just like we always do... We'll be there for her if her friends die on her and to help her take care of little ones while she is off on missions... She deserves to live her dreams. She's got a fair shot at this. You know that."

"I know…I just…" Mebuki said frustrated how her husband had a way of getting to her like this. It was like he could zero in on what was bothering her and point it out in that infuriatingly, frustratingly, sweet way of his, making all her cares, fears, and worries feel silly even to her. Suddenly an image of Sakura completing all the jutsu she knew with herself holding a stopwatch to time her and train her… it made her feel at peace. Yeah… she was going to be okay…

"Babe, I think it is time to just let her live. Ninja kids grow up faster than normal. Sakura's eight right now, so mentally she is around 14ish..." Kizashi said counting on his fingers. "Besides, as soon as she was signed up, she was contracted to at least finishing the academy, and up to one year afterwards as a Genin if she passed, so it is not like we can just pull her out of the program now."

Mebuki frowned. "We only put her in because of the law saying all civilians must at least try to be trained. What if they find-."

Kizashi smirked kissing her weak point behind her ear. "Don't worry about it you big baby. If anything happens, I'll take responsibility like I always do... Like I will tonight..."

Mebuki flushed bright red. "I-idiot! I-!" Mebuki however was silenced by yet another kiss this time on her lips. She finally sank into this kiss letting her lover chase all her fears away and kiss away all her tears.

* * *

Sometime later Mebuki lay her head down on her husband's bare chest. "Hon?"

"Yeah Mebuki?" he said with a smile.

"I think we should talk about a back up plan… just in case." His wife said softly.

Kizashi frowned before images of himself being killed and not being able to save his family filled his mind. His eyes got a far away look. "Yeah. Let's."

* * *

Far away in an undisclosed location a man stood and blinked as he recognized what had happened. His brows knit, and he called his servant.

"My lord! What troubles you?" Mukade said bowing before his master.

"Mukade… have you caused another temporal disturbance?" his master asked.

"It was me, my lord…" Mukade said. "I'm sorry but the peace negotiations broke down and they attempted to use my jutsu against me. I needed to reset in order to prevent them from using it."

Shingetsu sighed and walked over to a simple wooden chair. Resting his elbows on the arm rests he presses his head into his hands dejectedly.

"Mukade… I can't keep doing this. If you keep overwriting my work over and over again… It feels like I just lost five years of progress!"

Mukade walked over and knelt before the side of the chair and tried to comfort his lord.

"Shh… it's okay my lord. You will be able to find a happy ending…" Mukade said. "You helped me, so you must be able to help anyone…"

His Lord's single blazing cerulean eye was besought with tears. "But to have my work rewritten I… oh… how careless of me… I didn't offend you, did I?"

Mukade stood and looked down upon his lord before offering him a hand up. When he did Mukade pulled his lord into a hug. What would he do without his gentle lord?

"You could never offend me my lord… I know more than anyone how frustrating this is… but we will just have to make better choices this time around." Mukade said releasing his lord. "You are mighty and powerful. You can do all things if you put your mind to it."

Shingetsu wiped the tears from his eyes. The lord was still so young…

"Call a meeting in fifteen minutes. I must rethink our plans…" Shingetsu said, eye blazing blue with determination. "We will bring war to the Akatsuki and force them to stop this mad plan of theirs… after we give them another chance… I still believe some of them are redeemable."

Mukade smiled. "Yes, my Lord and this time no screw ups from me."

* * *

Black Zetsu lifted his head. Hmm… that wasn't right… he checked his memory and found he was several years in the past. Black Zetsu sighed. This was becoming more and more frequent. While it was exciting that the Akatsuki might be able to use this power it was still alarming to say the least. His memory included that man who crashed one of their meetings. Mukade of the Land of Sky, Rouran if he was remembering correctly.

The rest was… fuzzy. He had nearly discovered the man's jutsu when the whole world suddenly started to shift. Colors faded and Black Zetsu felt himself get angry.

Well… at least it wasn't a total failure… just he was back in the past! All the work he put into this it was…just… useless…

* * *

Farther away Sakura snapped awake breathing heavily. She had just had a nightmare… Her mother was dead as well as her father. Sakura began to tear up and cry. She wasn't even friends with Ino… Sakura sat up and hugged her knees trying to be quiet. If she was too loud her daddy would wake up and he had work soon…

Taking deep breaths to calm herself she tried to figure out what she had seen…

There was this monster… she was tall and lanky… and Sakura shivered. She was scary…

Then she remembered a boy with blonde hair. He was nice to her and she was… happy. He made the monster feel better and everything was nice…

Then the world started to shift and… Sakura couldn't remember the rest.

Sakura finally calm laid her head down on her fluffy pink pillows. Whatever it was Sakura forgot it in her tiredness…

She was going to be a hero… someone who could put a smile on people's faces and even get the guy of her dreams…

Sakura smiled as she slept.

* * *

A/N: Hello everyone! As you may have noticed I basically took all the options I gave myself and said, 'Why not both?'

*celebration with me on everyone's shoulders*

But then I realized what that would entail and added time travel.

*Everyone dumps me onto the floor and stares*

But I made it part of the plot! It is now cannon! Yay…

Now what you are all probably wondering. How does time travel actually work here? Um… go watch the Naruto Shippuden: The Lost Tower movie? Maybe throw in the Naruto: Stone of Gelel movie to understand how that could work?

Meh… I decided I am not going to do as deep descriptions of stuff.

Anyways the previous chapters are still cannon and all just they happened in an alternate timeline… this will become important later on. How much later? A good 300,000 words or so in.

*Sobs*

But I am here for my readers and I figured it would be unfair to just rewrite or revise. Awesome people seemed to like what I had wrote just fine. I am really happy about that. I will do my best to take this totally deus ex machina fix and run with it.

Thank you all so much! Happy new Year!


	20. Shots Fired!

**Chapter 20: Shots fired! REboot!**

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you everyone who reviewed! Please continue to tell me what you guys think! I'd love to hear what you have to say.**

 **First up though I would just like to respond to Nanami…**

 **Thank you for always being there! I really love your input and I can't wait to see what you have to say. I am sorry I did an unexpected reset, but it was for the best… My writing was not at it's finest, so I wanted to give you guys the best I had. Sorry about scaring you… and also thanks… It was really heartfelt what you said…**

 **As for the soundtrack… I thought about it for awhile and while I do have a few ideas for character themes… most of them are pretty good as is. The only one I would change really is Sakura's since it doesn't really fit with what I have going.**

 **" _Voracity" Overlord III English cover by AmaLee_ if you need one with vocals and ****_"Licht und Schatten" from the Tokyo Ghoul OST_ for one without vocals.**

 **As for the actual soundtrack… like the actual songs I write to…well… um…**

 **" _Evil Morty Theme" Rick and Morty soundtrack_ … on repeat… for 10hrs… And occasionally just listening to the radio…**

 **Sorry… but when I really thought about it, I just couldn't really remember what I listen to most of the time. I usually write in silence but occasionally have something playing in the back as I write to keep the muse happy. Mostly some Shonen anime OST. The Dragon Ball Z OST has some surprisingly good lofi beats… Also love all the Interstellar movie soundtrack… and I also listen to the Undertale soundtrack… say what you want about the fanbase, but I have no problem with the songs… You see the problem?**

 **I can't just say one song or the other and since I cannot up and make a new soundtrack… I have to borrow others and it's pretty well copywritten. The ones I did mention are ones that are important, however. "Voracity" inspired the fic and "Licht and Schatten" is the closest I found for a battle theme for Sakura. "Evil Morty theme"… heh… it's a guilty pleasure as well as a hypnosis type thing…**

 **Sorry for disappointment! Hope the songs I did provide are okay…**

 **A/N: Updating the grammar and reworking parts already... Sorry about not giving you the final version right off the bat... Will be working on that...**

* * *

Sakura met up in the park with Ino. Seeing the blonde girl she folded her arms. It had been nearly three weeks! And her _'best-friend_ ' still hadn't apologized or anything! Way to basically call her useless! Sakura however didn't have any other friends so… never mind that! Sakura was mad and that was final!

Ino seeing her reaction actually… looked shy? Why was she suddenly not so… _Ino_? Ino was loud, bombastic, and bursting with confidence… this Ino looked shyer than Sakura herself usually felt.

"Thanks for agreeing to meet me…" Ino said not meeting her eyes. Sakura felt bad now. What if Ino had been worried about losing her friendship?

"U-um… yeah… no problem…" Sakura said feeling embarrassed. Ino licked her lips.

"I just wanted to say that I am truly sorry for hurting your feelings and I shouldn't have said what I did. You have value and you are my friend." Ino said like she had rehearsed the line a hundred times before coming here. "So… do you forgive me?"

Sakura didn't speak but hugged the girl before her.

"Forehead! I mean- Sakura! What are you-" Ino began before she yelped. Sakura… bit her? Her clothes were damp, but her teeth didn't really sink in. Ino suddenly felt really tired and both girls fell over.

"Sakura what are you doing?" Ino demanded and was surprised when she saw the girl crying her eyes out. "Hey… are you okay?"

"hic… Nwoo… hic…" The rest of it was unintelligible but sounded roughly like 'That-really-hurt-my-feelings-what-you-said,-and-I-just-wanted-to-be-friends,-but-you-were-so- _mean-_ to-me-and-I-wanted- I-liked-Sasuke-too,-but-I-didn't-want-to-hurt-your-feelings-and-I-am-such-a-bad-friend-and-I-am-just-so-pathetic,-crying-in-front-of-you-and-I-'

After that Ino's ability to understand cry-speech was not enough.

"Sakura! Look at me!" Ino commanded. Sakura looked up and for a second, she thought she saw a monster with shark teeth but was instead treated to the sight of just Sakura eyes and face red from crying and tears and tear marks streaming down her cheeks. "It does make me feel a little betrayed that you like Sasuke too and didn't tell me about it-"

Ino was interrupted by Sakura's resumed crying and sniffling. Ino growled in irritation.

"But I _get it_! You are a young maiden in love! We just happen to like the same person! It's okay to like the guy! I was just mad you didn't tell me!" Ino explained over a crying Sakura.

"But… I… didn't… know… if I… hic… like him… or not…" Sakura said breathing heavily trying to speak after crying. She took a couple deep breaths and her voice slowly returned. "I… just… You have everything Ino! I- what do I got? Then you rubbed it in… I hate that I'm poor… That my family can't spend time with me because they work too much! I hate that I am alone all the time! But then… when I finally find a little dream… I can't take it!"

This was the first time Ino heard about any of this.

"So you were jealous? Of me?" Ino asked. Sakura looked up with hurt and ashamed eyes.

"Yes! But I also really like you as a friend! I love how you are awesome all the time and even when you do something really stupid you can keep smiling… but I'm such a bad friend." Sakura said looking down. "Who gets jealous of their best friend and tries to steal their crush and-"

"Wait hold up!" Ino said holding up her hand before taking a deep breath and pinching the bridge of her nose. "You _confessed_?"

Sakura looked down in shame and the sniffing continued.

"And I take it that since you aren't Mrs. Uchiha in waiting that it didn't go so well." Ino said bluntly making Sakura wilt even more.

"I wasn't _good enough_ …" Sakura said in a whisper before becoming louder. "My first time confessing, and he thought I was challenging him to a _fight_ …"

Ino winced. It would have been funny if it wasn't so… sad. But what to do now?

"Do you still like him?" Ino asked.

Sakura shrugged. "I still think he is cute but… no… he isn't interested in someone like me… you were right Ino…"

Ino felt bad now… and conflicted. Trying to get your bestie's crush was a big no-no in the girl code. On the other hand she did basically tell her to do it and came back empty handed.

"You were a bad friend." Ino decided and saw the way Sakura flinched. "But you are also my bestie. I forgive you if you can forgive me for being a bitch-"

Ino covered her mouth embarrassed. "And that you don't tell daddy I said that…"

Sakura hugged her friend again. "I forgive you Ino! I'm sorry! I won't get in the way of you and Sasuke!"

Ino hugged her back. "Sorry your first crush didn't work out. I will keep my eye out for a boyfriend for you 'kay?"

Sakura flushed under Ino's announcement. It was good to have her bestie back.

* * *

 _Two girls._

 _Same fate._

 _Just inverted._

* * *

 _Three and a half years later…_

Naruto was running. Iruka was probably dead and his teacher has turned into a strange tiger man. No pressure!

If only he could dump this stupid scroll and run faster!

Gah! Why did he choose to steal this! This is the stupidest thing that he has ever done!

This is up there with painting the Hokage's monument and trying to eat raw ramen noodles and then drink boiling water because he was late to the academy!

Naruto tripped.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion. He felt himself fall. He felt himself loose grip on the scroll and he heard Mizuki pounce.

Naruto looked up to see the strange tiger person growling and smiling demonically.

"Well, well, well… what do we have here? A hunter and his prey. Be a good boy and die now!" Mizuki roared. A clawed hand swung!

And was suddenly riddled with… arrows? Mizuki caught another going for his neck with his good hand. Mizuki roared.

"Show yourself coward!" Mizuki said but his only response was more arrows coming, seemingly, from three different directions. In a display of skill and dexterity Mizuki caught all of them only for his eyes to widen and throw them away quickly.

There was a massive explosion to Naruto's right which sent him tumbling towards the scroll. His head was ringing as Mizuki's tiger-like roars and explosions threatened to burst his ear drums.

But Naruto couldn't just sit there and do nothing! With his only jutsu he made the hand signs and suddenly the forest was filled with dozens of Naruto's all hell bent of dog pilling Mizuki. Naruto and his clones did their best to hold them down as more arrows came spearing themselves into the gaps between the Naruto's. Mizuki roared and threw off all of him causing Naruto to get hit with a harsh migraine.

Mizuki had turned into even more of a tiger person and was snarling like a mad man before getting caught in the face with more arrows. Mizuki howled as several explosions went off directly in his face. These explosions were different however as they seemed to be comprised of flash bangs and mustard gas clouds.

Mizuki covered his face and was caught up short when a series of arrows exploded into his butt. Mizuki roared louder.

"YOU LITTLE BITCH! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, I'M GONNA-" Mizuki halted mid rant however as a single arrow got stuck in his throat and exploded, dislocating his jaw. Mizuki howled in pain and- suddenly the world turned black and white.

"Ninja Art: Parting Shot." A voice intoned.

The sound of a single arrow snapped on a bowstring echoed through the forest and then there was a ringing silence. An arrow had punched a hole into Mizuki's chest. Mizuki gagged and began coughing as the arrow apparently went through a lung. He slowly began to transform back but his body began to shrivel up and his hair got all stringy.

A figure fully in the black garb of the ninja fell from the trees panting and landed next to Naruto bow drawn. The figure let fly several more arrows aimed at crippling locations. Mizuki finally fell.

The figure then fell over not moving.

Naruto not knowing what to do created three shadow clones and carried everyone and the scroll out of the forest. Today was just too weird…

* * *

Naruto ran as fast as he could getting Mizuki, Iruka, and the person who rescued him back to the hospital. Ninja suddenly surrounded him. A big guy who looked like Chouji glared at him.

"This is as far as you go Naruto." The man said. Naruto glanced at his teacher and the person who rescued him.

"I don't have time for this! I have to get these guys to the hospital or their gonna die!" Naruto shouted. When they wouldn't move Naruto slammed his hands together. "Multi- Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Hundreds if not thousands of Naruto's shadow clones filled the area and Naruto made a bee-line through the ninja surrounding him using the guy who looked like Chouji as a springboard while he was distr-

Naruto was suddenly caught and slammed into the ground.

"Ninja Art: Needle Hell!" The big guy shouted, and hundreds of needles shot out from his hair and despite the chaos of the spray had hit each one of his clones and nothing else. Suddenly hundreds of memories swarmed his mind catching him off guard making his attempts to rise off the ground futile. The man stood towering over Naruto and the last thing he saw was a massive fist.

* * *

 _Three years earlier… January_

Sakura lay in a hospital bed. Her father standing sentinel. His baby girl seemed so fragile… hundreds of wires and medical equipment spewed from her. They were doing everything in their power to keep her alive. They said that she was in a coma, but she would hopefully wake up soon. But what kind of world was this to wake up to?

Kizashi stood slowly. He was going to protect his family no matter what...

* * *

Naruto woke up in a hospital bed with The Hokage standing over him.

"I guess I'm in trouble." Naruto said with a wry smile. The Hokage smirked.

"Heaps. Choza nearly killed you for attacking his men." The Hokage said. "But then again you did try to take on a Jonin and Clan Head with nothing but shadow clones…"

Naruto's eyes snapped open. "Gramps! The other guys! Are they-"

"Iruka and Sakura are fine. Mizuki however passed away. His injuries and his negative reaction to one of his jutsu was too much for him." The Hokage said.

Naruto looked down. "It's my fault he died…"

* * *

 _Three years ago…_

"Sakura it's not your fault!" Ino said trying to comfort her friend. "She went into the explosions and saved you! She-"

"Ino my family is going to be executed by the village because a Clan Head nearly died in the explosion my mother triggered!" Sakura shouted silencing her friend. "I'm burnt to a crisp and I am going to save you too dammit! Let me help you!"

Ino was crying. "Sakura I couldn't bare to lose you! I…"

Sakura hugged her friend. "I'm not going to just hang back and watch my friend die… I… I'm not special… even Daddy won't look at me anymore… If this works, I can be healed up and maybe they can figure out a way for you to be fixed up too… and maybe I can get Daddy out of jail and maybe be normal again!"

Ino stared at her friend. Sakura was covered in burns from the explosion. Ino began coughing, her lungs were on fire and each cough got harder and harder until she felt like she couldn't breathe. Blood spilled from her mouth and Sakura was forcing an inhaler into her mouth. A few puffs later and Ino was laying back in bed with Sakura at her side. Doctors filled the room.

"I'm gonna rescue you Ino… it's what heroes… and besties do."

* * *

Naruto was pardoned for the use of a forbidden jutsu on a Clan Head and said Clan Head was pardoned for attacking with excess force. Mizuki was branded a traitor and Iruka would be fine after a bit of work done on him.

Naruto sagged into bed. It had been twenty-four hours since he last slept, and he was exhausted. Naruto still had a migraine from using that jutsu… sometimes accompanied by weird flashbacks of the fights. Fights in general were kinda blurry but these last two were extra blurry. Naruto chalked it up to lack of sleep and the threat of real danger…

Naruto sighed. Things were going to be better. The Old Man was planning on giving him another shot at the test in a few days and he was allowed to use the Shadow Clone jutsu in place of the Clone jutsu.

Yeah… things were going to be better…

* * *

 _Three years ago…_

Things were going to be better, Ino thought.

Sakura's Daddy had… he protected information while held in an enemy camp… He went out like a true shinobi… Sakura was still in a coma… The treatment was working and soon they would be able to give Sakura the illness and allow her antibodies to come up with a cure. When Ino went to visit Sakura almost looked normal once more.

Ino sat upright in bed and looked her daddy right in the eyes.

"I want Sakura to be my all-but-blood-sister." Ino said as formally as a nine year old could. Her father and mother who were visiting her were caught up short.

"Honey that's…" her mother began but Ino wasn't having it.

"Sakura is saving my life." Ino stated. "She is also my best friend. Even Shikamaru and Chouji aren't as close to me. Please Daddy?"

Inoichi looked troubled. "She… she isn't safe Ino. I still have reason to believe she is the reason you were attacked in the first place. Her parents were Mist shinobi."

Ino looked down. "Well from Sakura's point of view she might've been attacked for being my friend and her parents are now dead!" Ino shouted. "She is my friend and friends don't let friends be all alone like that! She is also saving my life by going through the super dangerous treatments just to give me a chance!"

"Ino dear! Don't work yourself up or-" her mother began but it was too late. Ino began coughing so hard blood was coming out and she needed a few puffs from her inhaler to settle her down, but she was still panting, unintentionally glaring at her father.

"She… is my friend… I'm… not going to…" Ino started before she faded to blackness.

Her parents sat in silence as Ino's mother, Tsubaki, stroked her little girl's hair. Her father had gotten up and started pacing in frustration. Finally, Tsubaki broke the silence.

"She has a point dear…" Tsubaki said softly. It was against code of conduct to voice an opinion on such matters to a Clan Head but Tsubaki was not afraid of breaking rules. Not this time.

Inoichi stopped at the window staring blankly out towards the village. "I can't… Ino nearly died because of these bastards and I…"

"Little Sakura isn't her parent's. Didn't your own mind walk reveal Sakura sensing the man coming and attacking the kidnapper?" Tsubaki said. "The girl has been a fierce friend of my daughter…"

"Sakura's a Gurru." Inoichi said. Tsubaki grimaced and looked down. "Dear, you know how dangerous they can be. There is a reason why the clan is never talked about in Konoha. They devour friend and foe alike. I… I am not going to sue for Sakura to be put on trial for her parents crimes and not going to down play her friendship and bravery, but I am certainly not going to…"

Inoichi let out a long, frustrated sigh. "I just… can't Tsubaki… I really can't fulfill Ino's wish… I…"

Tsubaki reached up and pulled her husband into a hug. His wife held his head gently against her bosom.

"I know you're scared." Tsubaki whispered. "And I know how nearly losing Ino tore you up… and how her illness is getting worse… but you had mercy of that Mitirashi woman… you can have mercy on Little Sakura."

Anko Mitirashi had apparently saved the girl's life by using some kind of forbidden jutsu to turn into a flying snake/bat demon and fly her to the hospital instead of injecting the girl with the two syringes. She had been put on trial as the council tried to cover their asses but Inoichi had stepped in to defend her as she had used the S-rank forbidden technique to save his daughter's life while the woman had been in duress. She hadn't been in her right mind and she was still in control of herself.

"I… I just don't want my baby girl to get hurt." Inoichi said.

"I agree. But let's give her the benefit of the doubt first. You gave me the same a back in the day…" Tsubaki teased.

"Yes but your situation was different and-"

"And you loved me anyways no matter what kind of demons I had." Tsubaki said quietly. "You forget I am also of two minds. If you can live with me and even have a child with me… I think you can also accept this little girl her place."

Inoichi winced. He loved his wife but her… it was rather similar when he thought about it.

"Let me think about it…" Inoichi said relenting.

"Don't I always?" Tsubaki said with a smile.

* * *

Naruto sat before the Hokage looked depressed. His Shadow Clone jutsu… he noticed a problem while using it… The jutsu worked fine but… he… he couldn't do it.

Each time he used the jutsu the clone had the same fear of disappearing, of death, as he did. Whenever he made one of those accursed clones and it popped, he was basically murdering a version of himself whose only crime had been being created…

And then he would relive their memories… their last moments before meeting oblivion and being absorbed back into himself.

Naruto shivered just thinking about it.

"Naruto…" The Hokage said. "I know you are frightened by what you see but this is good training to be Hokage one day. You sometimes have to make sacrifices and it will at times feel like it is costing you your very soul but you must. To protect your precious people..."

* * *

 _Three years ago…_

"-Basically I made a vaccine by infecting 477, letting their enhanced body chemistry create antibodies, and then recreated those antibodies in 476." Dr. Yakushi said finishing his dumbed down version for Ino's parents.

Tsubaki and Inoichi stilled.

"Isn't that…" Tsubaki began.

"It's perfectly legal. 477 offered herself as a test subject and it was approved by the Hokage, so they wouldn't have to pay for the medical expenses of saving their life. It is a win-win." Dr. Yakushi said.

"Except when it goes wrong and we just used a child in human experimentation." Inoichi said bluntly.

Dr. Yakushi looked at the man. "It's legal."

"It's morally ambiguous at best." Inoichi said crossing his arms. Dr. Yakushi shrugged.

"It worked didn't it?" Dr. Yakushi said. "The both patients are alive, and I even managed to give the Hokage the specifics, so he could restrain 477's chakra absorbing powers. 477 is now basically the perfect anti-chakra weapon."

Inoichi pinched the bridge of his nose. Ever since he had taken the younger man under his wing, he had been like this.

"Is she safe?" Tsubaki asked. At Dr. Yakushi's dubious look she clarified. "Is she fit to be around children for extended periods?"

"Yeah… I'm not the one to ask about child safety. They are still dangerous, but since they have no regenerative power they are about as dangerous as say… an Aburame? They still need to consume chakra, but there is no compulsion and they are easy enough to kill if things get out of hand." Dr. Yakushi said matter-of-factly despite the horrified looks on the parent's faces.

"We will be taking them both home with us then." Inoichi said firmly taking his wife by surprise. "As long as she is not dangerous, she can stay with our daughter."

Looking directly at Dr. Yakushi he continued. "As you are most likely aware, I am able to speed up the paperwork to become her guardian. However as she is also valuable for research purposes and her blood contains the vaccine for such an illness and as such, she will be allowed to be the subject of research… under my supervision as her guardian. Is this fair?"

Dr. Yakushi glowered but consented. "I will need to check the both of them every once in awhile to see if there is any issues with the treatment but that should be enough."

* * *

Sakura woke in her fluffy bed with her sister next to her snoring softly. Seeing this put Sakura immediately at peace. Sakura smirked, unceremoniously shoving her sister off of her, causing the older girl to yelp and dissolve into a number of curses.

"Sa-ku-ra!" Ino growled and pounced on her, pinning her to the bed. Sakura smiled, however, as Ino yelped as Sakura used her hips to reverse the situation so she was on top and sucking out Ino's chakra with a devilish smile. Ino's eye began to droop and slowly Sakura had enough to keep her awake.

"Stupid chakra eating powers…" Ino grumbled sleepily. "Dammit Sakura! Now I'm tired!"

"Aw c'mon sis…" Sakura said despite Ino's pout. Sakura rolled her eyes as Ino's baby blues transformed into the dreaded Puppy Eyes jutsu that melted the hearts of men and women alike. Finally relenting Sakura placed a hand on Ino's head and let the chakra flow back into her sister. Ino groaned as her head pulsed with chakra.

"C'mon sis wakey wakey!" Sakura said making Ino scowl and grumble. " _So_ …any idea how long I've been out?"

"Four days..." Ino grumbled. Sakura could give back the chakra she stole but the chakra always felt foreign and gave her a headache. Either way she wasn't sleepy now. "You have chakra exhaustion from whatever you did and will probably not be at one hundred percent for the next couple days… Wanna tell me what happened?"

"Uncle gave you clearance?" Sakura asked.

"No… but maybe super-secret-sisters-secret to the daughter of the former head of torture and interrogation version?" Ino asked with a smile. Sakura smiled as well.

"I got to use Parting Shot… at B-rank level…" Sakura said with a huge grin as Ino's eyebrows shot into her hairline.

Ninja Art: Parting Shot was a jutsu she had come up with that used up all of her chakra, plus some, and fused it into a single arrow. It was a very dangerous move… like using Chouji's chakra pills level dangerous. It required perfect aim and perfect chakra control. Too much chakra and the jutsu would kill her easily. No aim and you just wasted all that chakra.

Uncle Inoichi called it a growing type jutsu… Right now she could only get it up to a C-rank level but if she pushed it the technique might be able to go up to a B-rank level, but it ran the risk of killing her if she wasn't careful.

Basically it reinforced her bow and her arrow with chakra to make them stronger, increasing the tensile strength of the bowstring and ramping up the draw weight, and weight and durability of the bow and arrow dramatically. If she performed it correctly it would allow her arrow to punch straight through steel armored foes. At B-rank it could punch through steel armor… after going through three other guys in steel armor.

"Damn…" Ino said in awe. "Just… _Damn_ … You-"

"And that's all I can say." Sakura said seriously, cutting the other girl off. "I don't even need Uncle to tell me the rest is classified. Don't. Pry."

Ino made a zipping and locking motion over her mouth nodding vigorously. "Won't tell a soul but… That is SO! DAMN! COOL! That was like- Sailor Ares level of badass! Maybe even Archer Shiki level!"

Sakura frowned. "More like that one prince from that legend about Kiba's grandmother… The Cursed Princess? It's pretty self-destructive… Given that I _nearly died using it_ …"

Ino blanched. "Yeah… well… it's still pretty cool…" Ino said half heartedly before hugging her. "Don't die okay?"

"I do my best." Sakura dead panned making Ino pout again. Sakura smiled but inwardly she frowned.

Naruto was the Nine-tails… well... things were definitely going to be interesting for whatever team had him!

* * *

A/N: Hello everyone! This chapter is 4500 words long and I will be taking the remaining 500 words to go over some stuff really quick!

A/N: The above is a LIE! There is no way for this to be short!

* * *

Sakura's powers:

Basically the reboot gave her only disease and poison resistance and not full on regeneration. She is still a target because she can heal illnesses using her blood. It is normal colored this time.

She still can absorb chakra and is still discriminated against but much less as she doesn't advertise the fact by body modifications. She still looks like Sakura from cannon.

* * *

Ino's illness:

She basically has the same illness as Kimmimaro and Itachi. It was incurable as it effected the lung's ability to operate on a genetic level hence why Kabuto and Naraka Path Pain could heal it. The body thinks it is part of itself hence it can't be healed unless the body knows how to.

* * *

Sakura is basically Katniss now?

Umm… no… she is more like… Kagome from Inyuasha… She has mad skills but is pretty defenseless up close if you don't count the whole chakra absorption thingy.

The reason she is not using her chakra absorption more and why she feels comfortable using it around Ino is going to be explored next chapter.

* * *

References this time around:

Sailor Ares: In the Sailor Moon franchise Sailor Mars has a flaming arrow attack.

Archer Shiki: Shiki= guardian spirit/servant. Archer Shiki is a reference to the Archer Servants from the Fate/Stay Night Franchise who could carpet bomb a city easily with their skills.

The Cursed Princess: Look at Kiba or Hana, his sister. Then look at Princess Mononoke. Then back to them. Yeah… Kishimoto was not very subtle… The Curse Princess or Princess Mononoke is the legend of the Clan's founder who became sister to the Wolf Gods and found a place in their pack. When she eventually married a young Samurai the wolf spirits followed her, and the family eventually became the Inuzuka Clan. One of the few clans that accepts a matriarchal rule.

* * *

Sakura's arrows:

Explosive: Has an explosive tag wrapped around the shaft of either the front or the back of the arrow. Arrow used as a delivery device.

Chemical: Has poison or irritants in a small smoke bomb-like orb near the tip.

Flash Bang: Uses the same type of tag as Shikamaru's flash tags to blind.

The Bow: Specially made Ninja Bow used for sniping and or long distance fighting. Originally the primary weapon of the Samurai along with the seals of their clans it is seen as a holy weapon. Sakura is honoring her clan heritage as a ninja/samurai mix. The seals are prepared before hand allowing for one to use ninjutsu with it if they are skilled enough. The weapon is usually used in conjunction with a blade on their person for close range fighting. Sakura trained hard to use one while moving like a ninja.

* * *

Sorry about the format. I am running to get this back on track. Hope everyone likes it!

A/N: I humbly apologize for the lack of quality in this chapter. I was re-reading it in a preview again and realized I made a ton of grammar mistakes. There is a few parts I needed to rewrite or change the wording and some spacing for easier reading was necessary.

Thank you for baring with me!


	21. Grit your teeth and bare it!

**Chapter 21: Grit your teeth and bear it.**

* * *

 **A/N: Hello everyone! Thanks for reading! Gonna do some Guest responses really quick!**

 **Nanami: Thanks for the recommendation! Love the lyrics! Hope you like this chapter!**

 **Uhhhhhhhhh: I am putting disclaimers up so people don't get the wrong idea. I don't want anyone to have a bad experience. Thank you for your critique.**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: Dark themes this chapter. Please support the official release._

* * *

Sasuke hated Itachi.

He hated everything that man stood for. Everything that man did. He wanted to eliminate it from the world.

It was his duty to.

Sasuke stood before his parent's graves. Well, the monument erected for the massacre… shinobi leave this world without a trace. His parents were cremated, eaten by certain insects, then the insects were given to birds which spread their waste all over the forest, which became trees and other nutrients for other bugs. Simple. Correct. A ninja is supposed to leave no trace of his existence behind but service and loyalty.

But he couldn't even say that about his clan.

They didn't die with honor. They were cut down, afraid, and murdered by one they called their own. Sasuke had been too young to understand until a year ago just how many people Itachi killed. What that meant and who they were. Sasuke memorized every name. He read their journals and mission reports in his spare time. Ultimately, he decided on one thing.

Every day that Itachi was alive was an insult to their memory and it was his duty to avenge them. But it was more than that as well. He would take pride in his clan's past. He would strive to uphold their legacy and rebuild the clan back to it's former glory. But he couldn't do that until Itachi was dead.

That man was still alive. He could _feel_ it. No one that strong _wouldn't_ be able to survive. But…

Sasuke held up the bottle of sake he had been drinking and took a swig. He… he couldn't… Itachi was strong enough to take on the entirety of his clan at _thirteen_. The age Sasuke would be approaching in less than two months. Itachi had been ANBU level and a Jonin since he was _eleven_ … Sasuke couldn't compare. He had just past the Academy exam and he was the same age as his brother had been that fateful night.

Sasuke smashed the bottle on the ground and ignited it with a fire style jutsu. This was who Sasuke was. Even before It- That Man did this to him, to his family, Sasuke could never hope to keep up. He was never good enough, never strong enough, and Sasuke _had to_ be strong enough. He refused to live in fear of That Man coming back, having finally gotten bored with this sadistic game of his, and finishing him! He refused to be his puppet either! He wasn't going to play his game! But he was going to avenge his clan… he… he had to…

Sasuke deflated and sank to his knees on the ground.

' _Why didn't you stand up and fight son?'_

' _Did you not love me enough to even face him? Your mother's killer?'_

' _Why didn't you fight for the honor of the Uchiha?'_

' _Why didn't you go down fighting like the rest of us?'_

' _No son of mine would back down from avenging us.'_

' _I guess I was wrong… you didn't love me.'_

' _Live every day in fear like the coward you are.'_

Sasuke wept, tears streaming from crimson eyes. He had them ever since that night… though it was exhausting he hadn't known how to turn them off until much later…

Sasuke, at the bottom of his despair, found other reasons to live. Justice. Duty. Love. Vengeance. _Hate_.

He would probably never be Itachi's level. But he would live every day of his life to make sure nothing like Itachi ever grew in him. He wouldn't sink to his brother's level for _power_. He would live every day of his life in spite of the man and when he came for him… Sasuke was going to fight and die like an _Uchiha_ striving to do the right thing… just like his parents taught him.

His parents were police officers. It was his duty to protect and serve the people of Konoha while they were gone.

Sasuke bowed his head before the monument.

"I swear you will find justice one day. Itachi will pay for his crimes. This I swear." Sasuke said solemnly. He rose to his feet, eyes bleeding crimson before reciting the Uchiha Military Police oath. Words he had grown up on… and now he swore he would die on. "On blackest day, on brightest night, no evil will escape my sight, let those who worship evil's might, beware my power, an Uchiha's right."

* * *

Sakura added another explosive tag to the ever growing pile. She had used too many during the fight with Mizuki. Absentmindedly, she grabbed another piece of paper and began the process all over again.

Sakura had been terrified. She had been practicing her stealth and hiding her chakra signature when Mizuki had nearly killed Iruka. Sakura watched horrified as Mizuki revealed the truth to Naruto and Iruka's moment with him filled her with a determination to make sure the man's sacrifice wasn't in vain.

Sakura completing the explosive notes set them into the 'to be charged' pile. Explosive notes took a lot of energy to complete, but they were worth it… until that fight. Sakura's explosive notes were no joke either. A good shot would kill someone. A near miss would mortally wound them. They just seemed to _irritate_ Mizuki… The man's regeneration and durability shot through the roof. Sakura didn't know what to do anymore. She had been desperate and terrified when she had used her most dangerous and most powerful technique.

Sakura absentmindedly grabbed some arrows and began to prepare them. She made them herself usually. For some reason Shinobi didn't seem to use bows all that often. Samurai on the other hand tended to use them to supplement their lack of ninjutsu and to attack at a longer range.

Sakura started at the head. The iron in the elemental nations was shit plain and simple. Usually supplied from the Land of Wind or Land of Earth, the expensive metal was rare enough that if it wasn't being used like crazy for weapons would be next to worthless unless someone spent way too much time getting the mix of iron and carbon just right. Shuriken, kunai, even swords had to use much weaker steel to even be cost effective and many were turning to softer metals like bronze though iron was the standard…

Sakura tended to use smaller arrowheads made of broken kunai. She usually found them doing odd jobs, scavenging in the forests, and behind the academy. Out of one kunai she could usually get about three to four arrowheads if they weren't too badly rusted. Backyard smithing and some diagrams on arrowheads helped to do the rest for the determined nine year old.

After fastening the heads on several arrows she turned the fletchings. Goose feathers, cut to shape, glued and bound with strong thread into premade notches. This was an art in of itself and it had taken Sakura many tries to get it right. Out of all the parts of her jutsu she was unsure of it was her fletching she worried about the most. To Sakura, it needed to be absolutely perfect or it wouldn't fly. Literally.

Working for three hours a day she could churn out about twenty arrows. Any time she had a free day she would either spend it making arrows or with Ino. Such was the life of the few archers in Konoha…

Ino was sitting next to her sharpening her kunai. They only had a few days until they met their sensei and their teams. As Kunoichi it was their duty to be ready.

"There has to be a better way to deliver an explosive tag! I tried using one with my kunai and literally nothing was left! I had to spend my allowance on new kunai when the new Ronin manga is out! Wah!" Ino complained as Sakura kept her industrial level assembly going.

"They make kunai out of iron sand. With enough force it breaks if it wasn't welded correctly." Sakura said with a shrug. "Perhaps origami?"

Ino pouted as she ground with her wet stone. "No… well maybe? I don't know much about seals, but I think if you fold it, it ruins the seal?"

Sakura shrugged again. "Depends on the seal."

"Yeah… well… I don't know any that work like that…" Ino said going back to her work. She just needed a nice angle and a little bit more oil…

Sakura looked up from her work for a moment. "What if you made a backing for it?"

"What do you mean?" Ino asked perking up.

"Well, you know that new material they are using nowadays? Plastic? Maybe use some plastic on the back." Sakura said returning to her work. "Maybe some thick paper… I am not sure how well it would travel but I think you would be able to throw it. You can throw flowers after all."

Ino flopped down onto the workbench having finished her kunai set. "I only did that, so I could throw them like Yukata Mask in the Sailor Luna. It's not that hard once you get it down. It's like throwing bo shuriken… how much longer till you're done?"

"About an hour. Pass the box cutter?" Sakura asked. Handing it to her Ino peered over the other girl's shoulder.

"I still don't get why this takes so much work! You should just use Shuriken!" Ino complained seeing the level of skill necessary to make just a single well-made arrow.

"One arrow is enough to kill one foe. One shuriken can almost kill one. I am getting more kills for half the price." Sakura explained as she attached the fletching of another arrow. "Besides, it's not like I could use my drain powers with a shuriken either. This way is just more cost effective."

Sakura's drain powers were a secret known only to the Hokage, the head medic, Ino, and Ino's parents. That's it. Sakura felt comfortable using them alone with any of these people because she needed chakra every once in a while, but she was warned that people would hate her for her power if she revealed it. Not wanting the trouble Sakura kept it very well hidden despite going to the academy with Ino.

Ino rested her chin on Sakura's shoulder and continued to watch Sakura work. Her hands were covered in calluses from not only the training needed to hit a target with these fine arrows she made but also from the construction of the arrows themselves. Two marks in particular however were not calluses or scars. There was a small black diamond in the center of each of her palms burnt there by the Hokage himself. Apparently, he said he felt guided to the location of a scroll which had the Leaf Focusing technique on it. Inspired by this he created a seal which would focus Sakura's drain powers into her palms and give her a safe and controlled way to use her ability.

"Are you going to use your power around your teammates?" Ino asked. "Their gonna need to know ya know…"

Sakura frowned but kept working. "It's irrelevant. I am a distance fighter for a reason. I am not going to use that power in combat. I'm not going to become th- you know what nevermind."

Ino noticed that Sakura seemed distracted while she worked and wrapped her arms around her sister's waist. "You know… Dr. Ino is in the house if you want to talk…"

Sakura let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm _fine_ Ino. I just have a lot on my mind…"

Ino raised an eyebrow. "You don't sound-"

"Fine! I killed a man the other day and I don't feel bad about it!" Sakura shouted. Ino nearly jumped in surprise at Sakura's bold claim. "I killed him with no remorse! I am exactly the monster that everyone fears! I even thought about eating his chakra, so I could save my own life and I just- I don't know what to do! _Am_ I a monster? If I kill people without remorse can I _really_ call myself a hero?"

Ino stared. Sakura had refused to talk about her experience that happened three days ago by claiming top secret info. The only thing she knew was that Sakura had used the Ninja Art: Parting Shot at B-rank level. When Sakura had mentioned this Ino had a feeling. Sakura had been quiet the last couple days… well quieter than normal… Ino had chalked it up to chakra exhaustion but now she could see the toll this had been having on Sakura.

Ino's father had taken Sakura in at Ino's request but had been wary of her ever since he learned she could consume chakra. Sakura had been so excited that she had used a skill she had worked so hard on effectively that she had momentarily forgotten that she had killed. This seemed to confirm in Sakura's mind the worry her adoptive family had for her. It was scary to her to know she could kill without remorse. It was scary to her to that she would likely be seen as a monster among her own team. Sakura wanted to be a hero. Someone who saves the weak and innocent from the monsters of this world. But could she really be the hero when she was also the monster that she was trying to defend them from?

Ino's response to this was to reach down and take one of Sakura's hands and clasp it in her own.

"I'm not scared of you." Ino said softly. "You can have my energy any time you want because you are my sister, and my best friend. I trust you."

Sakura's hand trembled in Ino's. "I don't want to hurt you…"

Ino gave her hand a squeeze and sad smile. "Everyone hurts the people they love the most. That's just being human. Sakura I am going to be forcibly taking over people's bodies and making them hurt and kill their friends or betray their darkest secrets to the enemy in a few days. My whole clan does that. To say I trust you, when I don't read your mind, hide out in your subconscious or know absolutely everything says a lot. I don't think you were in the wrong to kill who ever you killed. You must have been really scared to have used parting shot and you have so many checks and balances in your head that you would probably hesitate even if you knew it was the right thing to do… And if your team doesn't love you every inch as much as I do then you will be-"

"Thanks, but you don't have to mom me to death Mrs. Uchiha." Sakura smirked. Ino flushed bright red making Sakura giggle. "Thanks Ino… but… I think I got this. I… I'm just worried is all… but… um… thanks…"

Ino smiled. "Any time. But seriously, are you hungry or-"

"No! I'm fine! I just…" Sakura made a frustrated noise. "Gimme some of that!"

Ino yelped as Sakura began to drain a bit of energy from her. It was like her arm suddenly went to sleep. Ino started getting sleepy. Sakura was being as gentle as possible, but she still 'ate' a lot. When Ino yawned loudly the feeling vanished in an instant and Sakura looked up with a worried look in her eyes.

Yawning Ino waved her off. "Between you and my jutsu I don't know how I have time to do anything but nap… I'm turning into Shikamaru…"

Sakura smiled at that and helped carry Ino to her special bean bag couch. Uncle Inoichi still let them play out here in the forest but the 'training ground' was not to be used. Laying down Ino was soon snoring softly.

Sakura felt Ino's warm bubbly energy inside her and smiled before going back to work.

Maybe being on a team wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

Being on a team was going to be the absolute worst.

Sasuke was nursing a hangover today and he was in no mood to talk to anyone. He sat quietly in the corner 'brooding'. In all actuality he was just hung over because he was a child alcoholic and hadn't gotten over the death of his family at the hand of his brother. Sasuke frowned deeper. When he put it like that, it didn't sound cool… just… sad…

Sasuke knew he had a drinking problem. He had been eight when he had his first drink out of his family's store trying to find anything to numb the pain, but it just ended up being his crutch for the last four years. Sasuke now needed a night cap to fall asleep without nightmares and had nearly finished off the store of his entire clan of police officers who had seen some serious shit.

Since that day the longest he had been without a drink was a month, but he soon found a reason to drink… he knew he had a problem…

The reason he decided he definitely didn't want teammates was because he was sure that they would either catch him or he would have to avoid them during his free time. What free time he had after training.

What was worse was that he wanted a drink right now so badly. He wanted to forget. He wanted to believe that he wasn't a worthless alcoholic letting his parents down in more ways than one. And he certainly wanted to forget the stupid amount of fan girls he had!

Honestly! He had no idea why a girl let alone a woman would be attracted to him. He was twelve for Spirit's sake! But there they were. The fidgety, hormonal teenagers that didn't know that he was hung over and squealing every time he so much as breathed. Did he mention he was hung over? He was hung over. And he wanted to forget this shit and just get to the freaking point already.

Sasuke wanted to smash his head into the desk when his number one fan girl followed by her sister entered the classroom. Ino… was a nice girl but had the wrong idea about him… and you could trust that Sasuke knew… he had only heard the things the girl gushed about him a billion times…

She thought he was a crazy strong, broody, handsome young man with a promising future.

What he was, was a decently strong, child alcoholic, with no future past getting shanked by Itachi in a dark alley and he knew it. He also was re-wearing the same clothes as the day before and only taken a shower this morning to remove the smell of vodka and shame off himself. He was not nice. He was not the dream boat everyone thought he was. But hey? Who was he to correct them? As long as they stayed far away from him and didn't get close that was fine…

The sister on the other hand was someone that Sasuke actually had a bit of respect for. She had chosen a weapon, wore her hair up in a tight bun and best of all didn't talk to him. She was a decent fight in his book but seemed to avoid physical contact like the plague which in his eyes was another plus for him. Also-

Suddenly there was someone in his face. A very stupid _blonde_ someone… Spirits he hated this dumbass…

Naruto _freaking_ Uzumaki was the only person Sasuke could think of that was a sadder piece of shit then he was. Not only was this bastard brain-dead but actually thought a dead last like himself would amount to anything besides shaming their military.

He dreamed of being Hokage. That's fine. But what irritated Sasuke was his never ending tirade of self-aggrandization and total shamelessness. It twisted some deep part of him when the dead last in his class of trained military assassins had more self-esteem than he did and for whatever reason that pissed Sasuke the hell off.

Yeah, he knew there were sadder back stories out there then even his. A _lot_ of people died in the Fox attack and that event alone was enough to have just about everyone in class be a sad no name orphan trying to be Hokage while also being alcoholics like him or abuse victims or what have you. Sasuke knew he was a weak ass piece of shit for giving into his addiction. He just hated Naruto's guts for being just as pathetic as the rest of them and parading around like he had some kind of _hope_ or some shit like that.

Yeah, Sasuke hated him but he also respected him something fierce for never giving up on his stupid dream and- why was the dumbass so clos- OH SHIT!

Sasuke's lips met Naruto's. The dumbass was kissing him?! What the hell?!

Both boys pulled away and tried spitting to get the flavor of the other boy's breakfast out of his mouth. For Sasuke it was a shot of vodka and a boiled egg and from the taste of Naruto's mouth spoiled milk and failure… Maybe yogurt? He didn't think he could respect a man who ate yogurt… Sasuke had thought to get retribution for being sexually assaulted but there was already a sudden spike in the bloodlust in the room from his fangirls.

Sasuke sent Naruto a look. Run you poor bastard…

Screaming and much clawing ensued.

* * *

Sakura watched as the horde of screaming fangirls descended upon Naruto and was doing her best to hold Ino back.

"Imma kill him! I'll kill that f-"

Sakura put a hand over her mouth. "Language."

"But Sakura! He violated Sasuke's chastity! We must avenge him! Not only that but look at Hina over there! See! She's traumatized! Nobody hurts my cinnamon bun! Must PROTECC!"

It was true that Hinata was doing her best to stop the fangirls, but her face was scarlet, and she couldn't put any strength into it as she seemed extremely embarrassed for some reason.

Finally Shino saved the day. A wave of bugs descended and then there were screams and much swatting, much to the great anger of the Aburame heir. Finally everything settled down and surprisingly Naruto was still alive. Sasuke for some reason was covering his head and moaning 'kill me now…'. Naruto seemed to bounce back pretty quick when Iruka got there and started handing out the team assignments.

"Chouji Akamichi, Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka." Ino's face met her desk.

"Noooooooooo….." Ino moaned into the desk. She looked up at Sakura with desperate tearful eyes. "You'll swap with me if your team is cool right?"

"Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha." Sakura's eyebrows raised at this team assignment. Ino was looking up at her with big piteous eyes. Sakura sighed. "I'm sorry. Though Sasuke is on the team you would murder Naruto within a week. Also Ino-Shika-Cho is a proven technique that will protect you just as well as Sasuke can. Shikamaru is smart and Chouji is pretty brave and he's super nice too. This is for the best."

"You just want Sasuke all to yourself I-" Ino started before being cut off by dark look in Sakura's eyes.

"Really?" Sakura asked with an almost sinister edge. "You think I am the kind of person who would do that after all you have done for me?"

Ino shrank back. "N-no! I… I um… just think that… I'm sorry!"

Sakura bopped her lightly on the head. "Good. Now let's go have lunch. Iruka's done…"

* * *

Naruto snarled into his meat bun. That bastard Sasuke planned this somehow! He… he…

Naruto frowned. Even he thought this was stupid… he was on a team with the bastard. So he was supposed to… play nice? Yeah right… It's not that Naruto hated the guy, far from it, he actually kind of looked up to him in some ways. It was just… Sasuke was everything Naruto wanted to be…

He had a clan that actually had a name in the village, he was a genius fighter, all the ladies loved him, he was respected by the teachers… respected in general…

Yeah… Mizuki had explained it all to him… he was the fox. He was the monster that orphaned more than half his class and killed Iruka's parents. Even if he was just the container didn't that just mean that people never saw the real him? That made Naruto depressed. All this time he was fighting to get recognition. _Anything_ to make people at least _look_ at him… he had wondered why it was so hard for him to do that… now he knew. He just reminded everyone of their families dying, of the night the fox attacked… Naruto had been to the memorial place once… It was in town but only really visible from the Hokage monument. A massive hand print. It was a scar on the earth itself from that night.

Naruto snapped himself out of the depressing thought process by planning a prank back at Sasuke. _That_ he was good at… That he could do with his eyes closed.

An idea came to mind and he smiled sinisterly. This would do it…

* * *

Sakura and Ino were sitting on a park bench with the lunch they had brought.

"So what do you think of your team?" Ino asked. Sakura munched on her lunch of a can of fruit cocktail. Her true love. Her one delight.

"Mmmh… not much. Sasuke is a good addition to any team but I don't know what kind of team we are. It would be easier to pinpoint if Naruto had any skills but as far as I know he is just really good at the transformation jutsu. Sasuke is an all rounder but he seems to specialize most in ranged attacks and speed. I also specialize in ranged attacks so I'm not sure what we would even be…" Sakura said. Ino sighed.

"I meant what do you think of them on a personal level? Do you think you're gonna be friends?" Ino asked. Sakura looked up at the clouds as she thought munching on the cherry of her fruit cocktail.

"I don't know. People are pretty different when they are tired, hungry and sweaty. Sasuke is broody and doesn't talk much and Naruto is… well like you on steroids. No offense." Sakura added quickly.

Ino pouted. "Well, I got lazy and chubby…"

"Yeah, but Shika and Chouji are already friends. Naruto and Sasuke probably hate each other now after the incident." Sakura pointed out.

Ino winced. "They can both be pretty hot headed… Sasuke's sheer passion is his one flaw…"

* * *

Sasuke hated his life. He was munching on a tomato- his one solace besides alcohol, what if he added the two together? - wondering how they could have screwed up this team so badly. There was no way that he and Naruto were going to work together well… Sasuke sighed. Why did his life have to suck so mu-

The only warning Sasuke had was a rope suddenly around his waist.

His tomato fell to the floor with a wet squish.

* * *

"Time for some revenge…" 'Sasuke' said with an evil smirk. "Let's see how you like your biggest fangirl as your girlfriend. Oh! I know! I'll go after Sakura instead! That will make Ino even worse! Bwahahaha!"

'Sasuke' frowned. "Sasuke's voice sounds weird laughing…"

* * *

A/N: Hello everyone! Gonna keep it brief but if you have any questions let me know!

* * *

Sasuke in general:

When writing Sasuke's character he kind of stole the chapter… Originally, I thought he was a jerk with the heart of a jerk but… then I looked at it from his prospective and couldn't write him like that… I made him more down to earth. As the son of a cop I made him have a strong sense of right and wrong. He would see it not as his own revenge but a duty to kill Itachi because in his mind it would be the right thing to do even if he saw it as impossible. He is Batman and Itachi is his Joker.

His alcoholism came from a head cannon joke I came up with a while ago. That Sasuke is a jerk because he was perpetually hungover. I laughed for a bit but after a while I thought about it and realized it would make sense from his perspective to do that. He is not okay with his own drinking but hasn't found a way to stop. I found this character flaw made him, to me at least, more relatable so I kept it.

Sasuke has the Sharingan early. I mean… why didn't he in cannon knowing what happened to him? I will be exploring how Sasuke feels about it in a future chapter but for now hijinks!

* * *

Sakura in general:

I decided to not make her have just *BOOM* anime arrow powers but actually have her craft her arrows and be kind of a craftsman about it. I just felt Cannon Sakura would do this if she was into archery. Sakura kind of gravitates to nerdy topics.

Sakura wanting to prove she doesn't need the power she feels is wrong and dangerous, so she hyper focuses on a single skill sounds very much like Sakura to me.

As to why she feels the power is wrong… maybe it's an echo eh?

* * *

Naruto in general:

Naruto is kind of a jerk, but he is a cinnamon bun as well. He is a brat acting out for attention and to hide his loneliness. Acting out is his alcohol. He does it to forget and then gets drunk off it and does something stupid that normally he wouldn't do. He had a much smaller role in the last few chapters, but he will come back in full force soon.

* * *

References:

Uchiha Military Police Oath: Basically DC's Green Lantern's moto. It just fit with something the Uchiha would actually believe and even was a not so subtle reference to the Infinite Tsukyomi where the sky turns dark red and then the moon shines like the sun.

Ronin manga: Reference to Rurouni Kenshin. I figured he would probably be popular in the Naruto world.

Yukata Mask: Tuxedo Mask is a sometimes ally of Sailor Moon and he throws roses like ninja throw bo-shuriken. It is a very dramatic move and usually stops a fight in its tracks. I used it because Ino throws flowers into Sakura's former bully, Ame's, mouth in a suspiciously similar fashion.

* * *

Sorry for the short Author's note! I just felt like I explained enough in the story itself! See you guys next week! Thanks!


	22. First Impressions

**Chapter 22: First Impressions**

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! We pushed some records with the last chapter and I just want to say you guys are amazing!**

 **EDIT: Since everyone will want to know, A/N about Sakura's love interest at the bottom... Let me know what you think...**

* * *

Naruto was sitting in a classroom bored out of his mind and trying to ignore the other two people in the room trying to ignore him…

Naruto decided he was just a moron. He should have known something would have gone wrong with his prank and oh boy did it!

He had gone up to Sakura and Ino as Sasuke like planned, wooed Ino into letting him talk to Sakura alone, then tried to put the moves on Sakura. This is where he knew he messed up.

Sakura noticed he wasn't acting like Sasuke, cold broody bastard… He then did his second mistake. He tried to kiss her. Sakura had sucker punched him so hard that his stomach felt like it was going to implode. He ended up dropping the illusion and Sakura had this… _hurt_ expression. Like she was trying to understand why someone would be that cruel to her friend. She ended up telling him as much. Since then she hadn't spoken to him.

Sakura's punch must have done something to his stomach because he had to go almost immediately and when he had finally emerged from the bathroom Sasuke was waiting for him. Naruto had tried to play off coming at his new team mate from behind, tying him up, and leaving him in the room alone for almost thirty minutes as a failed prank. Sasuke wasn't having it. He had smashed his fist into Naruto's face and told him if he ever came at him from behind like that again, he would knock him out cold like the punk ass bitch he was.

Now they were all forced to stay in the same room together until their sensei showed up…

Iruka had left nearly an hour and forty five minutes ago…

Naruto just hoped that their sensei would show up soon…

* * *

Sasuke had never been so mad at someone besides Itachi. Naruto had paid the blood price of his tomato. It had been avenged, but his lunch break hadn't. All of that sweet time alone from everyone… all wasted.

On the other hand he was also mollified a bit. Sakura, his other team mate didn't seem too bad and wasn't making a whole lot of noise like the blonde dumbass.

He just hoped that she wasn't a fangirl…

Sasuke continued to brood while he waited. He was good at brooding. Mainly he brooded about his inadequacies but now he had a fun time picking apart the absurdity that was Naruto Uzumaki and coming up with good one liners to use against him. Yes… he couldn't be just a dark broody sort of fellow right? He needed a plan and he needed to prepare so that nothing like this afternoon happened again.

* * *

Sakura clutched her head in her hands. She… she was going to be fine… she would have to explain the situation to Ino… she hadn't talked to her since she had seen Sasuke trying to put the moves on her. It was so embarrassing! All of her reassurances that she didn't like the boy was now rendered void by what Ino had seen! Not only that but… There was an ache in Sakura's chest.

It had been… nice… to hear a boy tell her that she had a noble brow… that she was kissable… that she was worth something besides fighting… it had made her heart beat a million miles an hour and the fact that it had all been a lie… all a lie to get a rise out of Sasuke at Ino's expense… It really hurt on some level…

Sakura clawed her scalp. No! She wasn't into that yet! She refused these Spirits damned hormones! If Ino found out she… Sakura was ashamed of herself for potentially betraying her friend and also for acting rashly even though it worked out. She… had kind of gotten so embarrassed that she… kind of sucker punched the boy who was being nice to her... She wasn't an overly violent person, but she had panicked and hurt someone… There was a reason she used a bow…

Now there was a new worry in her heart. If she… you know… ever… kind of… might… maybe… want to… hypothetically… k-kiss s-someone… would she drain them by accident?

This thought alarmed her greatly and she wanted to know but also… she had decided very early on that she was never going to drain someone in combat but… if-if they offered…

Sakura shook her head. No! She wasn't dreaming about kissing boys and going on dates! She was a trained kunoichi with admittedly plain looks and a boring personality…

Hours passed, and Sakura was daydreaming while reading her textbook. She daydreamed of a first kisses and how it would turn out. She decided that if she were going to think of that sort of thing, honestly, she'd rather not, she should have a plan… Ino read a lot of romance manga and the stories there were full of first kisses but um… ahem… they were not the most practical guides for this sort of thing and she… she… she would probably have a very plain first kiss… not any of the… strange sort that those manga had. Accidental kisses, indirect kisses, kisses on her neck…

While Sakura liked to think of herself as practical, and she was honestly, she also liked to imagine what it would be like to be a pampered princess that could also kick butt and save the world. Granted those sort of characters were rather boring but… she was also not above some wish fulfillment every now and again…

Anyways her ideal first kiss would probably be… something… rather… sweet. She wanted a sweet first kiss. One that wasn't meant to be tied to a relationship, a soft, gentle, curious sort of kiss…

Sakura felt her mouth begin to water and had to bring a hand up to stop herself from drooling. Damn her mouth… Sakura had a bit of a… problematic mouth… when she wasn't paying attention, she tended to bite things subconsciously and drool a bit. Especially when thinking about… food… either kind for her.

This seemed to confirm her fears. She would see that person as food and drain them dry… This sobering thought got her out of her momentary lapse of sanity. Besides who would want to date a girl like her? Oh hey! I might eat you in your sleep because I just love you so much! I might want to hurt friends and family to satisfy my own needs, wants and desires… That and she already had blood on her hands. Not that, that was uncommon among kunoichi… just that usually took out the chance for a relationship with a civilian man. They tended to be disgusted with that sort of thing. Especially women killing… those that were generally okay with it were ninja themselves, had family that were ninja, or the rare psychopath… Sakura sighed. Ninja would know she was a Gurru and what that meant. So her only option was a potentially psychopathic civilian… great options…

Thinking about kisses and being kissed was brought to an end by an angry cry from Naruto.

"I can't take it anymore! He is three hours late! I don't care if this jackass is a Jonin! He's getting pranked!" Naruto declared. Sakura looked up glaring.

"I thought you said you weren't going to prank anyone else." Sakura said eyes narrowing. Truthfully their Jonin sensei did kind of deserve it…

"As long as you don't do something cowardly, I don't care." Sasuke said being brought out of his brooding by Naruto's declaration. "They are a Jonin, so they will probably gut you like a fish if your try something like you did with me."

Sakura was curious but with Naruto itching to unleash righteous pranking upon the royally late Jonin she was conflicted.

"Nothing dangerous or hurtful." Sakura stated cooly but inwardly she was already regretting her decision. The boy's eyes lit up with a malevolent light.

"As you wish, milady." Naruto said in Sasuke's voice. Sakura flushed as Sasuke glanced at her in question. Sakura gave him a 'later' look and he seemed content watching as Naruto prepared.

* * *

He was exactly three hours and thirty minutes late and his students were probably chomping on the bit and furious. Ah… he loved teasing the cute little Genin they gave him before breaking their spirits and sending them back to the academy. It was educational! The Hokage had seemed to get that he had no desire for a team and would send him the worst of the worst in terms of teamwork. It was so much fun to tear them apart and let them go back crying about how they misunderstood the meaning of team work. Several of the teams he failed had even become absolute failures and hadn't graduated again. Those that did had a deep respect for team work and would work for the betterment of the team. Yes, he had done good work for the system.

When he opened the door to the classroom that held his new vict- ahem students he was actually a bit of surprise when he felt the air pressure of an eraser fall down towards his head. He had enough time to react to this of course but he was going to go with the unimpressed and gives-zero-shits first impression, so he let it fall. Then like a well-oiled machine about a dozen Narutos rolled from out behind things and shouted 'Behold!'

Kakashi got into a battle stance, there was not telling which was the real one and no telling what the blonde prankster was going to do- boobs?

Suddenly around a dozen extremely attractive, buxom women appeared, only barely covered by wisps of smoke.

"Welcome Sensei!" They squealed and rushed to him cooing and calling for him as 'Sensei!'

Kakashi's brain was fried and his visible eye was wide and nearly bloodshot. Immediately guilt filed his heart as well as embarrassment. This was his sensei's son! How could he- how did- just what?!

"Sen~sei!"

"Teach me something cool sensei!"

"Sensei I would like private lessons!"

"Oh sensei! No peeking!"

"Sensei! Are you thinking of something naughty again! I'll have to punish you!"

"Sensei! That's my butt!"

Kakashi broke and fell over with a bright red sizzling face.

"Sensei! Are you alright!" A pair of large, soft breasts pressed up against his chest. _T-they're real…h-h-how?!_

It was then that Kakashi blacked out.

* * *

Naruto dispersed the clones and frowned when he got back all their memories. That… was weird… it wasn't that he liked guys but he… that was a little too much enjoyment in the female form… he was going to ignore this for now, but he would need to do some research later. He turned and found a mortified Sasuke and an indignant looking Sakura.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"How do you know what a naked woman looks like!?" Sakura demanded. Naruto flinched.

"Hey! Sometimes the uncles around my apartment complex- you know- I didn't _mean_ to-" Naruto began but was cut off when he heard Sasuke's muttering.

"It was that easy to defeat a Jonin… how was he beaten? He was- he was…" Sasuke kept muttering looking like he had lost several years off his life.

"Oh that. I took out the Hokage with that jutsu." Naruto said nonchalantly. "And Iruka sensei… it seems to work better the stronger the opponent."

Sasuke looked conflicted. "It does?"

Now Sakura looked mortified. "Sasuke!"

They were interrupted from further speaking by their sensei rising from the floor looking like a zombie.

"… I hate you. Meet me on the roof in ten minutes." Their sensei said in a dead monotone voice before just disappearing.

Both Sasuke and Sakura shot a glare at Naruto.

"What? He was asking for it!"

* * *

Kakashi waited on the roof and took a moment to change masks. The blood had nearly killed him… but more importantly… where did Naruto learn such a jutsu!? The shadow clones he had been briefed on, he even knew about his use of transformations to transform into other people to embarrass them, now he knew why Iruka's reports were so vague… but the combination of the jutsu… and the fact his transformations were physical… that led to the jutsu being uncannily… realistic… Kakashi nearly died in embarrassment again.

Sensei… I have sinned… please Sensei and Ms. Kushina… please forgive me for accidently groping your son's boob…

Kakashi shook his head from his self-pity and focused on the now. He only had moments until they opened the door to the roof and he needed a plan. Naruto aside he had made a fool of himself in front of the other students and probably gave a bad first impression. The bell test would probably not work now. They would not take him seriously and they might even allow Naruto to use that jutsu again. Sasuke might even join in with the behavior if it worked to bring down Jonin… admittedly it would probably work a little too well…

Getting his mind off of the idea of twelve year old boys seducing him he needed a plan. C'mon Hatake! Think!

Finally his mind settled on a new plan. It was a little rough shod but perhaps it would work better than the bell test. The bell test relied on the assumption that the teacher didn't care if you passed or failed. It also required the teacher to be seen as this overwhelming force which could only be overcome by working together. Kakashi had shown weakness and now that test was out the window.

Maybe his new test would work just as well…

His cute little students came up the stairs and opened the door to the roof. Naruto was grinning at him despite Kakashi's deadpan stare, Sasuke was looking at him with a look of disappointment and Sakura wouldn't even look at him. Kakashi resisted the urge to sigh. Guess seeing your sensei as a massive pervert was a bit of a turn off…

"Alright take your seats. I would like to start with some formal introductions." Kakashi said as they got seated. "Blonde, you first."

"Um okay? How you want it Ero-sensei?" Naruto said with a smirk. Kakashi responded by pointing a finger at him and zapping him with a low powered lighting jutsu. "Eep! I mean- argh! …dammit! Don't do that!"

"Call me 'Ero-sensei' again and see what happens." Kakashi said deadpan. He had to nip the kid in bud before his insubordination spread to the others. "Name, likes, dislikes, dreams for the future, maybe specialty. Go."

Naruto grimaced and nodded. "Name's Naruto Uzumaki, I like playing pranks, ramen, and hanging out with Iruka and the old man and his family. I hate stupid perverts who like- OW! Okay got it! I hate people looking down on me and underestimating my skills! My dream is to be Hokage! I'm going to make everyone in this damn village respect me! Specialty: Close to mid-range combat, trap setting, transformation jutsu."

Kakashi nodded. He sure turned out interesting. "Okay, Tall, dark, and emo. Go."

Sasuke scowled. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I don't have anything I particularly like. I have a lot of things I hate. I don't have dreams, I have an ambition. One that I will make a reality. I _will_ restore my clan and destroy a certain _someone_. I specialize _most_ in ranged weapons, Taijutsu, and fire style jutsu."

Kakashi frowned. Figured… but still… not a good sign. "Okay pinky. Go."

Sakura glanced up at him and eventually held held his gaze. "My name is Sakura Haruno no Gurru. I like archery, flowers and talking with my friend and sister Ino. I hate… I hate perverts. I also hate bullies, and people who play around with people's feelings… My dream is to live a productive life… despite some… difficulties… My specialty is long range combat, sensing and seals."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Way to sugar coat being a chakra drainer… difficulties… also hating perverts… was that about him?

"Very nice to meet you. My name is Kakashi Hatake, I am the type of person that doesn't like talking about likes or dislikes! As for dreams? I haven't really thought about it… My specialty is Ninjutsu and being a Jonin."

All his cute little students seemed to frown at this.

"All we learned was his name." Naruto muttered.

"And that he is good at Ninjutsu… but what kind?" Sakura added.

Kakashi smiled… well as much as one as could tell. "Alright! I will get right to the point! You three are not what I was expecting! Our group is a Heavy Assault/ Vanguard team. As such we will mainly take on missions that work with that in mind. To prepare for this I have come up with a little test. It will test how well you will work on such missions. I kind of hate your guts right now because of that stupid stunt Naruto pulled so I will giving you this test as another shot before just sending you back to the academy."

Sakura and Sasuke turned to glare at Naruto.

"The test will be played out like a mission. Your mission is to protect my person while we take a walk through the woods. You are allowed to bring kunai, shuriken, and any other weapon you deem fit. Be prepared to strike to kill. You have until tomorrow to prepare any tools you may need. Meet me in training ground seven at six sharp. See you then." And with that he disappeared.

Sakura and Sasuke were silently fuming as they left leaving Naruto feeling uneasy.

Kakashi smiled from his perch contently. There was no way they were going to pass…

* * *

Sakura was fuming. Stupid Naruto, stupid Ero-sensei! But still! Naruto! When she said he could do anything non-violent or emotionally hurtful that's not what she meant! Now she needed to apologize to Ino immediately or-

Ino was waiting for her at their favorite park. She smiled up at her with a pained expression. "Have a fun date with Sasuke?"

"Ino! It's not what you think just let me explain." Sakura said. Ino, to her credit, let her explain. Ino raised an eyebrow.

"You honestly expect me to believe _Naruto_ is _that_ good with the transformation jutsu?" Ino asked. Sakura was exasperated.

"Even if it wasn't, he wouldn't go out with me because… well… I kind of punched him in the stomach…" Sakura said embarrassed. Ino stared at her. "I was embarrassed okay! He was coming on to me and I just- I just sort of hit him as hard as I could in the stomach! That's how Naruto changed back…"

Ino began to giggle. Then laugh… then she was laughing so hard she had to lean up on the park bench for support.

"T-that! That right there is why we're friends!" Ino said voice shaking with laughter. "You… you have the shot to kiss someone like Sauske and you go full Tsundere! Oh my spirits! This is too much! So… it was really Naruto?"

Sakura, bright red and more than a little huffy from her friend's laughter, let out a frustrated growl. "Yes! It took me off guard! You should have seen what he did to our Jonin Sensei..."

As Sakura related the story to her best friend and sister, said sister's face went from mortified, to amused to… something… Ino was thinking…

"What did he look like?" Ino asked finally. "Can you show me?"

Sakura flushed but she still had a very good mental image of the kind of woman Naruto turned into. "F-fine… but you owe me…"

Ino gave Sakura a once over as she used the transformation jutsu to replicate what Naruto had done. Ino raised an eyebrow.

"That's more than I was expecting but Iruka Sensei handles at least this much, so what made this so much worse?" Ino asked.

Sakura in the form of a naked woman flushed. "Please don't make me say it…"

Ino smiled mischievously. "C'mon Sakura… I'm letting you eat my chakra the least you could do is do it right-"

"S-sensei… t-that was my b-butt!" Sakura stuttered trying out a 'sexy' pose, so embarrassed she wanted to die... the transformation ended, and Sakura sank to her knees and covered her face in sheer embarrassment. As promised Ino placed a finger on Sakura's lips and immediately Sakura loosened up as fresh new energy rushed through her body. "Sorry… it was just _so_ embarrassing…"

Ino nodded. "I getcha. Naruto apparently is a master of seduction."

Sakura stared at her incredulously. Ino wasn't joking.

"I'm serious. If Naruto had really tried to put the moves on Sasuke, do you think Sasuke, let alone any man would resist?" Ino asked.

"B-but… Sasuke- he didn't- I mean he _looked_ but-" Sakura stuttered out. Sakura frowned. "He didn't look… not like _look_ , look…"

Ino frowned as well. "Could it be... that… you know…?"

"I-I don't know… but it would explain a _lot_ …" Sakura thought aloud. Ino looked up to the sky.

"Why is it always the hot ones-!?" Ino shouted up to the silent gods before she was cut off.

"Ino!" Sakura yelped covering her sister's mouth. "People can hear!"

"Like you didn't just transform into a naked woman telling her sensei to-"

"Ino!" Sakura squeaked.

"Alright fine!" Ino roared frustrated. "It's just… It's just a lot to take in you know?"

"Yeah…" Sakura said sympathetically.

The girls contemplated what they had just discovered with sobriety. Sasuke was either a girl in disguise or possibly gay… this was a lot to take in even for a girl who didn't claim to love the Uchiha.

"Maybe he just isn't into girls yet." Sakura tried optimistically. "Or is super dense?"

Ino had her face in her hands. Sitting up and fixing her hair she looked on the verge of tears.

"Then that would mean that all the times I dressed up for him, did my make-up, gave him thankfulness chocolate, all of that… it would have put me in the friendzone… at best and annoying at worst." Ino lamented. She laughed hollowly. She was beginning to cry. "I… I really like him… I want to see how he's doing, what his goals are and what not… I… I don't know what to do anymore… If Naruto can transform into a cute naked blonde girl with curves I can only dream of, and _that_ doesn't at least make _look_ , what shot do I have? I probably just annoy him…"

"Ino, don't say that! You… you just had bad luck…" Sakura finished lamely. Sakura felt awful. She couldn't cheer up her friend.

Ino continued to cry until Sakura finally found some words. They weren't good words… nor bad words… they were just… her…

"I thought about what it would be like to kiss someone today." Sakura said not really looking at Ino. Ino sniffled but her crying halted a bit to listen to her. "I wanted my first kiss to be a sweet kiss… something soft… something gentle… curious even… I wanted to cry because I can't really kiss like that… I feel like I would lose control and either drain them or kiss them senseless. I have… feelings… that I'm scared of sometimes. Scared to act on them, scared to doing anything I might regret… scared that I might do something I can't take back… Kissing is kind of like that… all I know is that if I kiss-I mean love someone, I will _never_ let them go… I-I get too possessive… I would just go crazy for them… love them unconditionally, even if they hurt me… so I push people away… I'm too scared to ever act on something so… powerful… but those feelings are still there… I… I think like this I might understand what it is like to love someone… but never have it reciprocated… Ino… unlike me you have a shot. If you love him, go to him. Confess your feelings and if he likes you back then try it… but if not… just… I don't know… learn to live with it… you can't control how people feel… well _you_ can… but not in a way that will make you truly happy… You deserve more than a boy that doesn't love you back… so… um… yeah…"

Ino hugged Sakura. Sakura hugged her back. Ino was trembling in her arms. Sakura felt numb from letting out all her inner thoughts.

"We'll both find someone to love one day." Ino declared, voice raw. "I'll find you a good husband who's crazy matches your crazy and I will fall for the sweetest, most hottest guy in the world!"

Sakura smiled and gave her a little squeeze. "And I will support you in whatever you choose to do and be there when stupid boys hurt your feelings. I got a training with my team tomorrow, you want I should play cupid and shoot him in the butt for you?"

Ino chuckled wetly at that. "Please don't… Only I get to smack his butt…"

Sakura laughed at that and they got up and walked home.

* * *

Sasuke felt a slight chill go down his spine.

He shook his head. Today was too much. Sasuke was too embarrassed back in the classroom to do anything. He… he had some very confusing feelings about Naruto turning into a curvy blonde woman but let them go remembering that the idiot was just good at the transformation jutsu…

Sasuke frowned. If that was all it took to defeat an elite Jonin then what would it take to defeat his brother? Could he be mortified to death? Sasuke chuckled into his drink.

No. His brother wouldn't be fooled by such an illusion… probably… either way that was not how he wanted to defeat the bastard. He would defeat him with honor. Good guy killing bad guy. His death would be an example to the evil doers of this world. He would avenge his clan…

* * *

Naruto slammed his fists into the quickly put together Kakashi-dummy. That bastard was just trying to single him out because he was the strongest! He knocked out his sensei in no time flat! This time he was going to prove he was the best with his other skills! Believe it!

Naruto frowned. He was feeling guilty about using shadow clones earlier… Being brought into existence as a living breathing entity for a prank? To turn into a woman and try to seduce his sensei? He felt weird about it and Naruto hated feeling weird.

He growled. Maybe he could do a little more if old fuzz butt in his stomach did anything other than give him a shit ton of chakra and make his life a living hell… no… he would knock out Ero-Sensei out with one punch!

He just needed to get good at the regular clone jutsu by tomorrow… He learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu in a single night! How hard can it be?

* * *

It was the morning of the next day. Sakura had everything prepared. She was ready to face whatever Kakashi Sensei was going to throw at her!

* * *

A/N: Hello everyone! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you think!

EDIT: Since everyone will probably want to know... A/N on Sakura's love interest at the bottom...

* * *

Naruto's prank on Sakura:

So re-reading this in the manga was kind of setting off red flags. Many fanfics skip the scene entirely, but it paints a very good picture of Naruto's moral compass… he is still that dumbass bastard that gets off of making a fool of everyone. Granted he is not entirely malevolent but wants attention… But it is still really creepy. As such he gets caught and his team mates don't trust him much anymore…

How will this play out in the exam next chapter?

* * *

Sakura's feelings:

Sakura is a normal twelve year old ninja girl. If you thought she was some kind of stone cold badass you are correct… when she is focusing on the mission at hand. Otherwise she is a normal girl with normal thoughts, feelings, and needs with the exception for her chakra needs so she daydreams of kissing cute boys in soft curious kisses when left alone for hours after a close encounter…

As for her sexuality (I'm only touching on it to clear up any misconceptions) is straight. Not because I thought it would be uninteresting but because I haven't found any instances in cannon where she seems to like anything but cute bishounen boys. Her type is Sasuke, Sai and possibly Shino without his glasses or coat. Granted these boys look feminine but she is exposed to multiple nude females and she didn't react. With this evidence I proclaim her straight.

* * *

Naruto's prank on Kakashi and how that worked:

Naruto's transformations are physical. Naruto chapter 14 pages 16-19.

Kakashi gets extremely embarrassed of people reading his book aloud to the point of near complete mental shut down. Episode 154 of Naruto Shippuden.

Kakashi gets noticeably flustered when Konohamaru transforms into an attractive woman out of nowhere. Episode 423 of Naruto Shippuden.

I think it is safe to say that Kakashi Hatake would normally be fine with this sort of situation, but he was embarrassed for two reasons. One is that his other students are watching, and the other is that the transformations are unexpectedly real.

Kakashi later feels guilty for other reasons.

* * *

No Bell Test:

I thought the bell test was a bit cliché and wanted to work from a new angle. The test is flawed in several ways anyway. It requires there to be a fear of expulsion and also a fear of absolute authority of the Jonin for it to work. Kakashi managed to salvage this to a new test. One that will test their willingness to work as a group in a new way. You know… as a group…

The original gave no option for this and wasn't testing the waters for teammates but potentially ruining chances for them to work on the same team. It also provided no ground work to follow when actually going on missions. Since we never see it, we can assume that they were only taught team formations later. Team formations being extremely useful even later on…

Basically I think the bell test is shit and needs redoing anyways… so yeah…

* * *

Sakura and Ino's conversation. The fall out of Naruto's prank:

Every action can have long reaching consequences and chances for character growth… but honestly, I just wanted a scene where I can give a heartwarming scene. And also refute some claims… As far as we know Sasuke is closer to asexual and Sakura is straight. Sasuke isn't given much 'thinking moments' where we can figure out what he is thinking so I am ad libbing here…

At the end of the day Ino's feelings are very real and very potent. She really does like a boy and Sakura can get that because in this time line she isn't as emotionally stunted… She can even offer some good advice.

As to why Sakura even tried to preform the sexy jutsu for Ino... haven't you ever done something dumb and embarrassing at the prodding of your friends?

* * *

Sakura's love interest:

For now I am leaving this open, but I will confirm that there will be one… I'm just not sure who it will be… I am leaning towards a Good!Kabuto or possibly Gaara or Sai… It really depends. All I know is that this probably won't be a Naruto or Sasuke x Sakura story. Sorry if I threw your ship out the window… but I'm open to suggestions.

As for how this pairing would turn out… if Sakura loves someone, she loves them completely… there is some fear there for her to actually accept any feelings she has for someone and it would be scary for her to think of loving someone that much. She will probably get burned somehow… She will probably love more than once so don't worry if things seem set in stone…

* * *

Alright! I got this done in three hours on a sick day! Woot! Hope you all have a wonderful day!


	23. You Fail Have a nice life!

**Chapter 23: You fail, have a nice life.**

* * *

 **A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry for taking so long! Just want to brush a few topics before going in today! Seriously though! Thank you!**

* * *

 **About Ships…**

 **Honestly, this is part of the reason this chapter took so long… I can honestly say I have been worried about it.**

 **This story originally didn't have ships. I started this as a Gen Fic, but quickly realized that many of my readers might just be reading for the ship. I don't mind this but just know this story wasn't really written with romance in mind. I will write what I will write but I am open to ideas as long as they are not Naruto or Sasuke… Nothing against them or the pairings… just… in this story… it would be… weird… let's just leave it at that.**

* * *

 **Response to Guest:**

 **I understand where you're coming from. Ino would great for Sakura but… in this story they are meant to have a more sisterly relationship. Sorry.**

 **As for Hinata… I kind of don't like Hinata as a character unless she is done extremely well. Hinata tends to be over-hyped and she is often made into some sort of wish fulfillment self-insert. Her story is usually rewritten simply to pair her with Naruto or to get her out of the way of the intended pairing. Hinata tends to be a force that is acted upon rather than one that acts. She will have a major role in this story but as a love interest? That is a definite no…**

 **Vote for Gaara noted. As for the request of Good!Orochimaru… I will see what I can do, but I kind of need all the honest to goodness bad guys I can get…**

* * *

 **Response to Nanami:**

 **Have I ever told you how awesome you are? You are awesome. Don't worry. I will keep writing. This story hasn't even gotten to the bell test!**

 **Gaara will probably not be her first love, but a second or third, maybe… Again I kind of let the characters do what they will. As always thanks!**

* * *

' _Experiment O-R0 is taking to the snake DNA extremely well. Soon they will be able to withstand Okui's disease. Experiments with H-R0 are proving promising. Their form is small and sickly; however they are the closest to a physical clone I can make of Okui. They have all her abilities and attributes. H-R0 has been subjected to a weakened form of the disease and while having severe side effects, has survived. So far, they are the only one to survive the cloning and subsequent experimentation. O-R0 is slated for the next round of- Okui? What are you doing in here?'_

' _I don't feel so good…' There is a sound of a body hitting the floor._

' _Okui? Okui!' the microphone drops, and audio is lost._

Found in Lab 36 in Konoha. The Abnormal's Report.

* * *

Sakura drew her bow back and fired. It was no good. She couldn't keep up!

Her arrow bit deep into her enemies flesh but they just kept charging and like that they had her bow.

It snapped into splinters under her opponent's grasp and was torn away from her. Sakura grit her teeth and reached for another arrow, but they leapt passed her and at the one she was supposed to protect.

How had it come to this?

* * *

"AAHHHHH! WHY DOES HE DO THIS TO ME?! WHY!? IS IT BECAUSE OF THE TRICK! I'M SORRY!" Naruto shouted off into the morning sky. "I'LL NEVER TRY TO SEDUCE YOU AGAIN!"

Sasuke looked like he was going to murder Naruto.

Sakura sighed. This was… irritating. Kakashi sensei… was a total bastard son of a bitch…

They came before dawn and now… it was nearly noon…

Sakura prided herself in her cool veneer. She could hide her emotions rather well… but it would be a mistake to believe she never felt anything…

Sakura felt… angry… if she wasn't a trained kunoichi who already had blood on her hands, she would have been… well… it wouldn't have been pretty…

As it was Sakura was waiting in a full meditative state. Peace… tranquility…

"Yo! Sorry! I got lost on the road of life!" Kakashi chirped happily.

Sakura couldn't help it.

Sasuke's irritation, Naruto's hyperactivity… all of them roared in rage. "YOU'RE LATE!"

Kakashi winced. "Yeah well… I had some stuff to set up. Well… better late than, never right?"

Kakashi handed out some fliers and Sakura glanced at it dubiously. A mission assignment?

"We are going to have a mock vanguard mission. This will be a test to see if you are even worth my time trying to train you." Kakashi said with an eye smile. "Your mission is to guard me from any an all attacks to my person for the space of one minute. Most encounters on guard missions never go past that. For one minute I will put you through hell… If you fail, if you lose, I will send you back to the academy."

This had Naruto gaping like a fish and a scowl from Sasuke. Sakura felt… raw… unimaginable… fury.

Sakura stepped forward. "Forgive me sensei but-"

"Are you questioning my judgement? Even if I question your abilities to the point that I do not consider myself your teacher, I still out rank you and your insubordination in questioning me would only further my… let's just call it 'dislike' for brats like you." Kakashi said. Sakura froze, frowning and looked down. "Now if you three are done wasting time the clock starts… now!"

And like that hell erupted all around them.

* * *

Sakura was on the ground panting. They… They didn't even last ten seconds!

Kakashi squatted down with an arm raised to show a small pug chomping on his arm. Naruto was surrounded by three dogs all growling at him and Sasuke was pinned by a massive black bull dog the size of a bear.

"You fail. Have a nice life." Kakashi said getting up and starting to walk away. Sakura had enough.

"What the hell was that?! We were clearly at a disadvantage! How was that a fair test!?" Sakura roared rising up. For her trouble Kakashi stepped on her, forcing her back down into the dirt. Daring to look up she saw a cold look in Kakashi's eye as he just radiated the intent to kill.

"I really hate brats like you. You think just because you pass a stupid test you deserve to be called ninja? You are an insult to the head band you wear. You are not Genin and are certainly not worth training. I'll give you some free advice though. Might save the next guy the trouble if you bother to remember it… but you three don't look like the type to learn from your mistakes.

"Naruto! You had the time to pull off a Multi-Shadow Clone jutsu, but you didn't. You were too caught up in your own self-preservation and moral dilemma that you didn't bother to think of the lives of your team mates. The enemy isn't going to just sit around and let you think about your actions! You have to be ready to use everything at your disposal the moment you accept the mission!

"Sasuke! You had the speed to take down these dogs. You had the power. You even had the skill, but they still kicked your sorry ass because you were too caught up in trying to do everything by yourself, even when you saw your team fall all around you did nothing to help them. That and you didn't use everything in your arsenal. Shuriken, Sasuke? Really? That was more of a distraction when you needed a full-on counter strike.

"Sakura! Out of the three of you, you were the worst one. Has it ever occurred to you why ninja never use bows? It's because literally anything else is better! Using just a bit more chakra, you can throw a kunai just as hard and with even more effect… there is also Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, hell even Taijutsu would have been better to close the distance. Once your bow is attacked you no longer have a way to fight. You cannot weave hand signs to even get yourself out of a Genjutsu, no way to even use the Substitution… Do you even have a side arm? If you are going to be a ranged fighter, then at least learn to actually fight at range i.e. staying the hell away from the action and fighting outside your opponent's range. You poured all your free time into this didn't you? As a responsible adult, I hereby ban you from using a bow in ninja work. It doesn't suit you and you have better options. Out of the three of you, you are the one to have impressed me the least, work hard and maybe you can make up lost ground, though honestly I kind of doubt you can."

Sakura grit her teeth as shame filled her. This was humiliating… every word made her want to pull her hair out and scream in frustration. Her bow was not useless!

Kakashi turned once again to leave. "Oh yeah… Could you guys meet me back here in about two weeks? I'll get the paperwork ready and- well you know how bureaucracy is. I just need your signature on some forms and that will be it. We never have to see each other again."

"Bastard! I'll never give u-" Naruto started.

"Except when you do. Like you did in that moment you hesitated." Kakashi said savagely cutting him off. "Leave. Don't let me catch you back her until then or my cute little puppies will rip you to shreds."

And like that he was gone, and Sakura snatched up the broken pieces of her bow and ran back home, holding back her tears. The boys, confused at their female team mate, sent each other one last glare before going their separate ways.

* * *

Ino was tired from her first team interaction with Asuma Sensei. The man was very… chill… After some basic training he just had them work on formations and then they just messed around. That was all fine and good, but she was also the one to feed her sister most days… and she was exhausted… UGH…

Ino would never admit it, especially to her sister, but Sakura's eating habits were wearing down on her… It was like every time her chakra would increase her sister's appetite would double in capacity. This left Ino in a state of borderline fatigue every…single… _freaking_ … day…

Of course Sakura would worry if she showed any kind of exhaustion or irritation, so Ino worked to stay happy and upbeat… and, naturally, Ino fixed this with caffeine and tons of naps! Ino was happily chugging on a soda, new to the elemental nations and full of sugar, and enjoying to low level energy buzz she would get from the crisp bubbly drink. At first Ino had been worried about her figure, but she quickly found out that feeding Sakura easily burned more calories than running ten miles! Thanks to her little sister's chakra eating, Ino was able to eat whatever she wanted! Yay!

She was especially looking forward to a nap. She especially had to replenish her mental energy… Ino yawned as she walked through the woods to Sakura's secret base.

Sakura would always spend at least two hours after any kind of training at the academy training with that horn bow of hers. She had several but the one she was most proud of, and would gush for hours about, was her Xing horn bow. Ino had given it to her as a gift after begging her father to let her have it. It was a memento from the first war against the invading Xing armies. Her grandfather had looted the bow from the corpse of one of the snipers he turned, and it had been in her attic ever since.

When Sakura got it, she spent hours researching and learning how to take care of it properly, using long bows made of Hokage-wood to increase her strength so she even stood a chance trying to pull back the hundred pound bow. It was the bow she loved the most…

Ino approached the training field when she heard someone crying. Ino was immediately worried.

Sakura didn't cry.

That was just a fact of life.

Sakura had stopped crying after her parents died. Even when Sakura admitted she had killed someone, Sakura hadn't cried. She would put on a false smile, try to get people to stop worrying about her, or in rare instances when she was really upset… sometimes Sakura would ask her questions that made Ino really worried. When your best friend/sister asks you 'why was I born?' it can be hard not to…

So, needless to say, Ino was extremely alarmed when she walked through the trees to find Sakura on the ground crying and clutching something to her chest. After a second Ino recognized it.

The Xing horn bow…

"Sakura-!" Ino started but Sakura cut her off.

"I'm fine Ino." Sakura said wiping her eyes and that damn fake smile she hid behind went up. "I just got something in my eye…"

"Bullshit. What happened?" Ino demanded. Sakura had broken her favorite bow, but Ino wasn't even sure if that was enough to make the girl cry.

Sakura was quiet for a full minute staring at the ground. Her smile was gone and she just… stared. Ino was getting worried and was about to say something when Sakura spoke.

"Is archery really that stupid?" Sakura asked in a voice so low Ino almost missed it.

"What?" Ino asked. "What happ-"

"My sensei thinks archery is stupid. He says throwing kunai is just as good, that Taijutsu was even better… I…" Sakura said looking like she was getting misty eyed. "So have I just been wasting my time? He failed my entire team. S-said I was the one that impressed him the least… all because of my… how could I have been so stupid? I… I don't know what to think anymore…"

Ino was in a state of shock.

"He failed your entire team? Wait- is he even allowed to do that?" Ino asked.

"I don't know! I was- he gave us a mission and we failed! We didn't even last ten seconds! I got a shot it, but the damn dog broke my bow and I- I didn't know what to do! We were surrounded and I- I failed." Sakura said hurriedly. Ino had never seen Sakura so _shaken_. She looked close to a break down. "He said that he wants us to meet again in a week because he wants nothing to do with us. Until then, we aren't even allowed back into the training ground…"

"What?! I thought that- That's it!" Ino practically growled. "We are taking this to Daddy! He will know what to do!"

Ino grabbed her younger sister and began to drag her to her father's office. Sakura squirmed and struggled.

"Ino! Stop!" Sakura yelled finally wrenching free from her grip. "It was my fault! He was right! I just suck okay! I used a poundage of bow that was too high for me to pull back quickly and didn't have a side arm! I failed, okay!"

Ino turned and rounded on her. "You were _crying_. If you were crying, then that means whatever this Jonin said was so reprehensible that it is worthy of death. Daddy can help fix it."

Sakura looked shamefaced not even meeting her eyes. "Fine… I need to tell him anyways…"

Ino walked with Sakura hand in hand. She squeezed it gently and Ino got a determined look in her eyes. "Don't worry sis. Big sis has got this!"

* * *

When Sakura relayed her tale to her foster father, she half expected him to throw her out and not allow her back into the clan building all but blood or no. She had failed and disgraced not only herself but the clan that sponsored her wellbeing. Inoichi however was extremely calm and seemed like he was almost expecting this to happen.

"Well… Kakashi never did want Genin and your team did rather poorly against an admittedly a slanted situation, but that doesn't change his decision. Kakashi always had the highest standards of all the Jonin…" Inoichi said. Sakura bowed her head.

"But Daddy, he can't just reject Sakura because she uses a style he doesn't approve of!" Ino said angrily. "That's got to be against the rules somewhere!"

Inoichi shook his head. "Except he can. Kakashi is very thorough and knows the rules front and back. He was actually famous for doing everything by the book up until a few years back. Now, even if he did break rules for the hell of it, it would be hard to stick anything to him. He has a lot of pull in the village."

"Can you tell me more about him?" Sakura asked looking down once more. "I want to know why I failed so badly…"

Inoichi thought about it. "I'm not a liberty to say too much but I can give you some information our enemies have from his bingo book page… Let's see… Kakashi Hatake, age 26, son of Sakumo Hatake the White Fang of the Leaf, Student of the Fourth Hokage. Known aliases: Copy-Cat Kakashi, He who copied One Thousand Ninjutsu, known amongst the village as Cold-Blooded Kakashi… This is all I can give you without permission from the Hokage, but it paints a pretty good picture of what you are up against."

Sakura bowed her head once more. "I understand sir… I ask you assistance to find some work so I may earn my keep. I'm sorry I failed you."

Inoichi frowned before reaching into his drawer. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. I can honestly say I myself would have been up to his standards at you age and I lived through the Third Shinobi War. No, I will support you until you become a ninja. Until then you may use this. It was a gift that I was planning to give you after you became a Chunin, but you seem to need it now more than ever."

It was a large worn dagger with a leather case and dull grey steel. Sakura took it gingerly and opened it. Sakura's eyes widened. "Sir, this is-"

"Chakra metal yes…" Inoichi said softly. "It is an old standard issue chakra blade Shikaku used to wield… or was it Choza? Anyways, I lost mine on a mission during the Third war, and they handed me that to keep me safe when we were fighting Sand. You said mentioned that you are thinking of giving up archery. While I am sad to see you get beaten down for it to get through to you, I understand, and have thought much the same thing when you were getting started. I allowed this because you seemed to know what you were doing, but until you are more skilled, I must agree with Kakashi. Please accept this as a replacement until you can find something more suitable."

Sakura closed the dagger and placed it on her lap. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay… you did well, for a beginner. You will have other sensei and you will have other team mates. A ninja is one who endures after all. One doesn't simply give up when defeated, captured, or even released from duty." Inoichi said solemnly. "This is what the Will of Fire means."

Ino, who had been alternating between listening carefully and ogling Sakura's new weapon, spoke up. "But why? Why go so far? If I was captured it wouldn't take much to get information out of me… I mean you trained me Daddy but torture sucks…"

Inoichi inclined his head. "True, given that is the point… but for me at least, I do what I do to protect my family, my loved ones, my little ones… I personally believe the Will of Fire burns most brightly when you have someone to protect. With that burning brightly in your heart, you can go to your death happily, knowing that you served them with all the love you possess."

Sakura thought and internalized this. She had heard this many times, but she would always be surprised when she heard it as it seemed to have a different meaning for her each and every time.

"Can you show me how to use this?" Sakura said holding up the dagger. Inoichi smiled.

* * *

Sasuke resisted the urge to drink away his problems. He was retarded and pathetic for even thinking it would help. He would have his night cap to get to sleep and that would be it! No more drinking because of pity or depression. He was pretty sure that was why he wasn't on a Genin team learning from a freaking Jonin! He hadn't been at the top of his game and had felt off all morning.

Sasuke sunk into his bed. He failed. He failed himself, his family and their memories. He was supposed to be a damn elite! He was supposed to win every fight, or near every fight. He was an Uchiha. And… and…

 _And what?_ A sordid, dark part of his mind said _. I'm no Uchiha. I can't even stop a stupid dog. I took down a mountain lion by myself when I was eight! I helped… that man… kill a boar the size of a house! I was really restrained by a bull dog? It wasn't even that big of a bull dog. Maybe only six times my weight! What is wrong with me? Why do I suck? Why is it that, that doofus did just as well as I did? Do I just suck that much?_

A burning anger filled him. _No. I won't give up. That's just not who I am. I will beat this! I just need to train!_

There was just one problem…

Sasuke struggled as he attempted to do complex shuriken jutsu… without his Sharingan active. Oh yes, he could use it… why he didn't, well… Sasuke hated that his eyes looked like the ones that helped murder his parents…

They would activate on their own when he was truly in danger or extremely upset but also when he was training, sharpening his senses and making things seem to blur into a slow motion dance of death. A poetic way to describe his neuro synapses firing faster than normal, his eyes twitching at a faster rate, his pupils morphing to allow more light to enter his retina, and his mind to fill in the gaps between what he was seeing and what he was going to see…

Sasuke dropped down to the ground gracefully and waited until his vision returned to normal. He refused to use Itachi's way to power. His father told him that Itachi had awakened the Sharingan at four and had been constantly using it to gain power and experience no child should ever possess. At the price of sanity…

Yes, Sasuke remembered the Uncles and Cousins who would come back from war and seemed to live with ghosts. His own father, so strong and noble, could be made as still as a statue with the sound of a child crying. Whenever he heard this… Sasuke could remember his eyes turning red and he would just become so… still… as he replayed whatever he saw play again, and again in his mind… Sasuke also remembered his brother's words. In order to get even stronger with the Sharingan… he would need to kill the one he considered his best friend… Sasuke hated himself for even for a moment thinking of that route.

It was _wrong._

It was _evil_.

It just _wasn't_ what he was!

He _would_ be different!

He _could_ redeem this power!

He was _Sasuke Uchiha_!

He would be damned before he used his Sharingan for power or gain. It was still his proudest possession as it marked him unequivocally Uchiha, but his eyes would not be used for evil. He refused.

Sasuke stood up slowly and felt his vision go back to normal. Wiping sweat off his brow he returned to work. Thinking about what Kakashi had said, Sasuke stared at his shuriken.

Maybe it was time to upgrade…

* * *

Naruto stared out into the village from his favorite perch on top of the Fourth Hokage's spiky head.

' _You let your own moral dilemma get in the way of protecting your team…_ ' Naruto thought. ' _But how to get around the moral dilemma if that is literally the only jutsu I know based in attack_ -'

Naruto's eyes lit up. That's it!

* * *

Hiruzen had, had a long night and was about to head to bed when he heard the rustling of an over eager boy trying to steal the forbidden scroll… again…

"C'mon… there has got to be a jutsu that can help me beat Kakashi…" Naruto said hastily reading the scroll. Hiruzen coughed to get the boy's attention. Naruto's hands slammed into a hand sign and he yelled 'Behold!' but the wily old Hokage was ready this time. A quick yet sharp poke to the solar plexus and Naruto was down… and could no longer form chakra easily thanks to a technique borrowed from the Hyuuga.

"Holy shit Old Man!" Naruto said wheezing. "What the hell you do to me?!"

"Tell me why you are once again stealing information from the forbidden scroll." Hiruzen said letting his will be known. He wasn't going to let the boy off the hook easily this time.

Naruto flinched at the man's sheer presence. Looking away ashamed Naruto scratched the back of his head.

"I just… I wanted… I'm sorry." Naruto said surprising the man with his sincerity. "That was pretty messed up of me, especially because what happened last time but… I…"

"What happened?" Hiruzen asked. He knew Kakashi was tough, but he thought for sure the man would pass the team that was essentially a carbon copy of the old Team Seven. Had he judged the man poorly? As the man heard Naruto tell the story his frowned deepened… those… were some considerable problems…

"So you got hung up on using the Shadow Clone Jutsu…" Hiruzen summed up, ignoring the other problems he saw with the other two. "and decided to take another look at the Forbidden Scroll in order to get a better idea of what you were doing?"

Naruto chuckled nervously. "Y-yeah! Um… that's totally what I was doing!"

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "You thought you could just steal another jutsu that didn't have the same downside?"

Naruto hung his head. He was caught. "I… I just want to be strong enough. I want people to notice me- you know in a good way! I want people to look and say 'wow!'- you know like that! But this jutsu… it's like it takes everything that's wrong with me and makes it a whole ton worse… I… they get so scared and whenever they pop, I feel it… I just want to find a way I could use it without it… you know… hurting."

Hiruzen pulled a pipe from his robe and a can of tobacco. Filling his pipe and lighting it with fire jutsu with the skill and trained swiftness of a professional smoker, Hiruzen soon had a twin stream of smoke coming forcefully out of his nostrils. Should he teach him?

"I have a jutsu that would solve your problem… but you are going to need to get ahold of yourself first." Hiruzen said before breathing in another draught and blowing out again. "Naruto, each clone has a portion of your will. If you do not desire to do something, they will be even less likely to do what is at hand. You have to master yourself before you can use it."

"And the other jutsu?" Naruto asked.

Hiruzen just responded with a raised eyebrow, then lazily flicking a shuriken out of robe sleeve, probably looking like a really quick throw from Naruto's perspective, and then with practiced ease flicked through the right hand signs. The single shuriken suddenly erupted into ten, then into twenty before imbedding themselves into the wood of a cabinet. He'd have Tenzo fix it for him in the morning… Naruto watched with awe as Hiruzen released the jutsu and the shuriken popped until there was only one left.

"Shadow Shuriken Jutsu." Hiruzen said nonchalantly. "I was the student of the man who created the Shadow Clone jutsu, so I learned how to put my own spin on it. You learn to use the Multi-Shadow Clone jutsu and I will consider-"

"Please teach me it! I need to know it if I am to be a ninja!" Naruto said bowing head to the floor.

"Raise you head!" Hiruzen said getting irritated. "I won't just teach you a jutsu because you asked for it! You need to work for it!"

"I'll work hard!" Naruto said not getting up. "Please teach me!"

"You keep bowing and I'll teach you a jutsu I learned from the Raikage!" Hiruzen growled.

Naruto promptly got up. Geeze, Gramps was angry…

"Show me you can get over your hang up and I will consider it. It is much more difficult than just slamming your hands together." Hiruzen but Naruto was already pulling a shuriken from his bag.

Naruto threw it and tried doing the Multi-Shadow Clone seal. He made a few clones, but the shuriken didn't split… Hiruzen facepalmed… how did Minato sire such a dunce… but then Hiruzen remembered Kushina was in there too. Hiruzen loved and respected the woman but she could be dumber than a box of rocks at times…

Hiruzen watched as Naruto continued to practice and sighed. "You are just going to keep trying to re-create the jutsu on your own until you get it, huh?"

A Naruto clone, who looked nervous that he was going to fade from exisitence at any moment, nodded with a nervous smile. "Yep."

Hiruzen shook his head. Might as well give the boy a few pointers…

* * *

Kakashi waited up as his dogs got a check up at the Inuzuka clinic. His cute little puppies were fine for the most part, but Bull had taken a few kicks from Sasuke, the boy kicks like a mule apparently, and Naruto had managed to give Biscuit a gouge not to mention the freaking _arrow_ sticking out of Akino. Honestly, the mutt wouldn't stop complaining about it, but Kakashi was worrying endlessly about it. Part of the reason he was so hard on the Haruno girl was because she _shot his freaking dog_. Seriously! Who just up and uses lethal weapons on his cute little puppies? The clan heir of the Inuzuka clan, Hana was nice enough to let him stand guard and watch while she worked on treating them.

"So Sasuke is that old, huh? Seems like yesterday I was in the same class as his brother." Hana said eyes looking far away. "It's a shame how he turned out. He was such a quiet and sweet boy… Crazy about that Izumi girl if I am remembering things correctly. Second cousins or something like that… I was pretty jealous back in the day."

"He was quite the looker." Kakashi agreed, flipping through his Make Out Paradise volume 3. There were multiple volumes to each series. He had recently re-ordered the box set after his old copies began to decay.

"So you and Iruka going to tie the knot?" Kakashi asked.

Hana blushed a deep red. "I-I don't know what you're talking about…"

"I wasn't born yesterday…" Kakashi said idly. "Honestly I am surprised that your mother hasn't smelled it on you. You smell like him… a lot…"

Hana's blush grew. Her face was red and steaming. "Please don't tell Mom!"

"You're fine." Kakashi said nonchalantly flipping through his book. "I don't care about your love life. I would suggest wearing something like a perfume. Might help hide the scent…"

"T-thanks…" Hana said still blushing. "I… I guess I got careless… I'm just worried about Mom finding out that her daughter, and heir is… you know…"

"You're eighteen and I am reading porn in front of you. You can just say that you and Iruka are shagging and leave it be." Kakashi said watching as Hana stammered. "Also your mother probably already knows, best tracker in Konoha and all, so I don't know what the hang up is..."

"It's just…" Hana began. "Things… happen but… um… I don't really want to… it's just…"

"You're waiting on him to pop the question?" Kakashi guessed. The way Hana looked down and eyes darken told Kakashi everything. "He doesn't want to?"

"He's… he still has some baggage. I mean we all do, but… Iruka thinks he has to be the perfect father, have a stable job and make a certain amount before he thinks he's _worthy_ of me. I mean, I get it, and it's sweet he wants to provide for me but…" Hana said. Kakashi read between the lines.

"You think maybe he just want you to understand he isn't dating you just for the money or sex or power of dating a clan heir?" Kakashi asked. Hana looked up at him in surprise. "And him doing his best to get ready to support you isn't him trying to demean you but to respect you since anything less could be seen as him taking advantage of your love?"

"What? There's no way he'd… Oh spirits… he totally would… Damn it!" Hana said, sweeping her hair back exasperated. "He probably- I mean Mom might- but really the Inuzuka clan isn't going to care if their heir marries outside the clan. I mean, look at mom… Shit!"

"Yeah, not to sound rude, but that is probably an issue as well..." Kakashi said as Hana finished up taking care of Bull's ribs. "Just talk to him about it and remember to cover your scent better."

Hana sighed. "You're right…How'd you get so knowledgeable about love anyways Mr. Cold Hearted Kakashi?"

Kakashi flicked his hand at the book he was reading. "Say what you want about the smut, but this series goes more in depth into the intricacies of a healthy adult relationship than any other book I know. I think it is even mentioned a textbook about learning to cope with difficult emotions."

Hana raised an eyebrow. "It's that good?"

"It is honestly how I even began to understand women." Kakashi said. Hana smiled up wolfishly.

"Maybe me and Iruka could read it together." Hana said in a light tone. Kakashi began to sweat and what was visible of his face began to turn red. "Relax! I'm joking… sort of…"

"Lalalala! Can't hear you!" Kakashi said. Hana laughed as his dogs began to chuckle and rib him further.

"Come on! Get out of here!" Hana chided as she ushered the arguing dogs and master out of her clinic. "Bull remember to lay off the butter! Biscuit! No biting or scratching that wound or I will put you in the cone of shame and parade you around all the available girls!"

"Awe c'mon!" Biscuit yelped.

Hana waved as they left. She had a phone call to make… and a mother to explain a few things to…

* * *

Kakashi fed his pack before heading to bed… maybe he had gone too far with the kids…

Eh. He'd give them the real test next week…

Kakashi thought to his own team test. Rin had tagged along beside him and he had nearly gotten a bell. Obito tied to a post. He thought nothing of it back in those days but… he would miss his team… more than anything in the world. They taught him to feel again and wormed his way into his heart only to die because of his stupidity… Sometimes he wondered if Obito hated him. Even after he died.

Touching his Sharingan eye, one that could never turn off no matter what Kakashi tried. First thing he had seen with it was Obito getting crushed by boulders and failing to protect Rin from the man that attacked them afterwards…

Kakashi shuddered.

 _The Chidori… he just caught it… ate it…_

 _If sensei hadn't come along…_

 _He hadn't even worn an Iwa jacket… probably a mercenary…_

 _His face was cold, eyes hollow… but that smile. That smile had kept him up at night when he was younger. Still did on occasion. His hair was limp and scraggily, body thinner than anything he had ever seen, bloody and parched lips. His smile was filled to the brim with needle like teeth, his clothes in tatter, tall… he was taller than even his father… Kakashi held back a flinch as he remembered the next part._

' _There are more of me out there you know.' He said holding a captured Rin whose strength was fading and her eyes slowly becoming lifeless. His Chidori charged forward with fury. He wasn't going to let Rin die! Not after just promising Obito! But… the man… he caught his Chidori. A Chidori he would later cut lighting in two with. He had him in an arm lock. The Chidori was fading behind him harmlessly fizzing out passed his armpit and his long nimble fingers had Kakashi's arm just above his elbow. Kakashi could only watch in horror as his chakra rushed out of him and into the monster's body._

' _I can absorb all Ninjutsu and Genjutsu.' He stated simply. 'It's been a while since I have eaten someone with such a strong chakra… perhaps I will break you and turn you into a slave to feed on... This one could heal me after some close calls… I wonder if she will become more obedient if she sees the light go out from her lover's eyes or if I should break her mind first and watch you squeal as she suffers.'_

 _Kakashi struggled to get out. Rin's crying, tired eyes, looking like they were ready to give up. He hated it. He HATED THIS!_

 _Kakashi tried to do a leg sweep but the man just changed grips and his long fingers palmed his face. If he thought the numbness and pain were bad before then this was a whole new level of worse. He could hear Rin screaming his name and struggling in the man's grasp as he drained her as well, her struggling body stilling. That moment would haunt Kakashi for a long time until something worse would take it's place. Rin's limp and lifeless body. Her eyes glassy and lips blue._

 _Kakashi had begun to struggle, to scream. He wasn't going… to… die… h…here…_

 _Minato sensei had shown up in the nick of time and slammed a knife in the man's skull faster than he could even see. The man shrieked in pain but Didn't. Go. Down._

 _The man laughed. Laughed as he dropped Rin and Kakashi and went to fight Sensei with a knife sticking out of his skull._

' _You! You will feed me for a while!' the man said laughing. Minato however kept slamming knife after knife into this man and wouldn't stay down._

' _You're… v-village… used to have… us… y-you failed us…' the man said laughing at the haunted look on Sensei's face. With one final strike the man's head came off and his face was in the rictus of a smile._

' _Kakashi! Try covering your eye- Shit! KAKASHI!'_

Kakashi thought about his team and thought back to Obito. He had nearly died with the combination of the Sharingan being on and the monster's absorption of his chakra. Still he wondered if Obito hated him…

Why else give him an eye that made him relive all his failures?

* * *

Sakura sucked at knife fighting. Or marker fighting in this case. Inoichi had decided the best way to learn how to fight with a knife was against an opponent. However, Ino was busy with her team and Inoichi had clan matters, so she was training with Ino's whole team. They were practicing drills and Asuma had been delighted when asked if she could join in and learn knife fighting, especially when it concerned a chakra metal knife… Asuma had two trench knives made of the stuff and he was more than willing to teach his students how to use them. But before they could do that, they had to practice drills and team formations. Asuma was very chill and let her kick back and watch or play the role of the 'capture-ee'.

Finally he set them on their knife work and gave them each a large white tank top and a permanent marker.

"Alright! Basic pointers! Try to remember to keep it simple, no twirls or reverse grips. Stabbing is okay but for safety reasons try not to stab each other in the eye. Rarely works as a target anyways in a real tussel but if you can you should. Oh yeah, and don't throw them unless you can retrieve them and even then… well you get the picture. Experiment! Try it out!" Asuma said with glee. "I'll chime in with pointers after each bout. Free for all in three! Two! One! GO!"

It had been chaos from there. The shirts kept track of where they got hit and the markers represented knives.

"Remember! A guy that is trying to swing at you wildly has no idea what he is doing! If he has his knife next to him like this," Asuma held his knife just a pit higher than his belt and just below his ribcage, almost like he was holding it in the pocket of a hoodie. "That means he already has a spot figured out to hide the body!"

Sakura found out quickly that this was nothing like archery. Asuma allowed and even encouraged the use of Ninjutsu to fight with and she ended up in a temporary alliance with Ino to take down the boys. Shikamaru was sneaky and would use his shadows to hold an opponent briefly before striking them. Sakura had gotten a few 'nicks' from that. Chouji was a bear. His longer arms and more traditional stances made him a powerhouse. Sakura had always thought that weight and size didn't matter as long as you were skilled enough… but on even ground, with similar weapons and a handicap on Sakura's end not to just snipe his fat ass from a hundred meters was… humbling.

She could see why Kakashi was worried about her. Sakura hated that. She improved slowly. Asuma's basic, down to earth drills and the comradery of fighting each other and knowing each other's strengths made her quick friends with the boys. Shikamaru was surprised she wasn't a stuck up bitch and Chouji was delighted to find out she could nearly out eat him in the all you can eat BBQ. It was nice…

Sakura found herself training less and less with Ino. After the team drills everyone would break off into their own clans and be taught the ancient and sacred arts of their clan. Ino's Mind Possession required a lot of meditating and chakra control to use. Apparently, the Nara and Akimichi family jutsu were similar. Not that she would know. She wasn't all but blood with them so it wouldn't have be right to ask.

So, naturally… she went to the only other person she could think of that would be available… she just hoped he didn't mind…

* * *

Sasuke shuffled through the warehouse log, walking down the cavernous building until he found what he was looking for. Using a stair ladder he climbed up and retrieved a few boxes from the higher shelves.

Shisui Uchiha, Haruhi Uchiha, and Toru Uchiha. They along with that man were who he suspected to be in ANBU at the time of his brother might have been. Nobody knows who exactly is in ANBU since the shift rotates so often. Many Jonin and even some Chunin would serve six months to a year at a time and be rotated out so they could have a one year on two years off shift. Finding information on them was next to impossible but Sasuke wasn't the son of the Chief Detective of the Uchiha Military Police for nothing. Stuff he remembered being spoken about around the dinner table or at his Aunt and Uncle's house were analyzed and Sasuke soon came up with those names as a possible candidates.

He needed new equipment. Something to help give him an edge. He couldn't just rely on shuriken and his Taijutsu. Itachi… that man wouldn't be stopped with such things… As much as it felt like grave robbing, what other choice did he have? He wasn't exactly rich and if he could steal the clan's liquor then he could… borrow… some equipment…

Sasuke sucked it up and began to open the boxes.

He opened Toru's box, more of a large chest, first. Frilly clothes, a set of zodiac figurines and a journal were the first things. Sasuke smiled a bit. Toru was a klutz and extremely kind but fierce in protecting her home. She had such cute possessions… but nothing Sasuke could use. Frowning, he double checked and found a small picture with her and a newborn and some baby clothes. Sasuke's eyes got misty before he shut the lid.

Haruhi's box was next. Thankful she was a known as much more sensible. Besides some basic clothing there was a few sets of shuriken and kunai that he could use but the real prize was the large collapsible Fuma Shuriken and several jutsu scrolls. Haruhi had been known as the only one to possibly match his brother in ranged combat. That being said however Sasuke wasn't sure this was what he was looking for. He kept the Fuma Shuriken though. Despite being overly serious at times Sasuke was still twelve and Fuma Shuriken were just badass no matter what your age was.

Finally it was time to open Shisui's box. Sasuke hesitated. He had known Haruhi and Toru but not well. Mostly just the clan meetings his father would hold, and Toru baby sat Sasuke once, but he had kept running off to find his bi- that man. Sasuke remembered the rumor just before the clan was slaughtered. That Shisui was found in a river two weeks prior and Itachi was the primary suspect. Knowing what his brother told him about the Sharingan… That would make Shisui the best friend Itachi killed for power… He remembered how close they had been. It was almost like he had a second less cool brother. Finally finding the nerve Sasuke opened the chest. Bingo.

The first thing was a set of swords. Some basic ninja tools and what looked like jutsu scrolls… Eyes gleaming at the treasures he took them for his own. It was a sign. His clan was giving him these to motivate and protect him. At least… if he was more crazy, he would have thought that… No… he didn't deserve this. But he would take it anyways.

He would avenge them.

* * *

A/N: I think that should be it for a bit. Sorry again for taking so long.

I will attempt to explain some stuff but honestly if you guys still have questions just ask…

* * *

The test:

They weren't supposed to win.

Kakashi just didn't want to train them. He had to make sure there was a way for them to win of course but he didn't have to play fair. I admittedly wrote Sasuke a lot slower than he normally is, but he is also going up against dogs that helped take down A-rank Jounin and potential Kage killers. Fresh Genin, even Naruto and Sasuke, are probably not going to be able to fight them, especially with their hold ups. Kakashi knew this and used it against them. What do you think will happen next?

* * *

Archery kind of sucks:

Yeah… I know… just… let me explain…

The way Sakura fights would be effective… if she wasn't used to attacking basically stationary targets and didn't use a whole ton of area of effect attacks. She could use one of her explosive arrows, but it might detonate too close to an ally. She could use a flash bang, but it would also hurt her allies. The whole point of the test was to see how well they could work together, and Sakura has always fought as a loner.

There is also the inherent weakness of bows in this genre. You know why there is never a gun in Naruto despite there being the technology for it? Either A.) the fight becomes too simple, no hand to hand exchanges and no clever use of jutsu to counter foes, bloodlines and special powers fall by the way side or entirely focus on the gun, in essence making the whole fight seem cheap or B.) There is a logical reason behind this as most ninja techniques are to avoid/deceive meaning they did use bows in the past but have since evolved in style.

You can actually see this with the armor they wear as well. Hashirama, Madara, and Tobirama are decked out in essentially Japanese full plate, then Hiruzen only wears a chest guard and a helmet, then the Fourth only wears his flak jacket and the Fifth Hokage Tsunade doesn't even wear armor. This is because they evolved styles. Dodging techniques became more effective than tanking them in a full out war. Hashirama and Madara are shown to go at each other on open battlefields and Minato fought trying to ambush the Fourth Raikage. I am saying there probably _were_ bows used back then but now in Sakura's time, the use has declined to the point that multiple use weapons are more useful and more convenient in combat. There are other factors such as explosive tags and what not, but I am writing this at midnight to be able to post so… yeah, I'll leave it at that.

* * *

Sasuke hating the Sharingan:

He was tortured by it. Tsukyomi was enough to knock Kakashi out for several weeks. Sasuke got hit with it when he was eight and forced to watch his parents murdered on a seemingly endless loop. A channel on YouTube called Anime Balls Deep calculated that the kid saw his parents murdered 503,000 times in the space of a single second. Now imagine someone who went through that learning that they have the same eyes as their murderer, that they hate them with every fiber of their being… get the picture?

* * *

Hana and Iruka:

Fun fact! Iruka is 19 at the start of cannon. He has been watching over Naruto since before the massacre of the Uchiha. That means that he has been teaching since he was about 15! Wow!

Hana on the other hand was 18 at the beginning of cannon and was in the same class Itachi started out in…

Yeah, they are a couple in here. Figured it was a bit better than all those Anko Iruka pairings floating around… You make Anko into a slutty sadist and have her fawn over child friendly Iruka?

So I wrote him up a relationship on the rocks with the kindest Inuzuka in the pack…

* * *

Kakashi's altered backstory:

Yes, I changed it a bit. I am kind of inserting a clan into cannon to make all this shit work so give me a break already Muse!

I hope you guys like it and can get a taste of what an older Sakura would be able to do.

* * *

Uchiha storage warehouse:

Where else is Sasuke going to keep all his dead relatives stuff? I figured that Sasuke would borrow stuff from them but not outright take it. Hence the indecision. It would also paint a better picture of what exactly he lost. He didn't just lose his family Sasuke lost his whole world…

* * *

References:

Toru and Haruhi Uchiha: Toru is based off of the character Toru Honda from the popular shojo seies Fruit's basket. Haruhi is based off of Haruhi Fujioka from Ouran Highschool Host Club. Needed names and they were the first to pop up.

Knife fighting demo: This I attribute to the channel on YouTube Mettatron. He is great and I recommend watching his videos. As for the part about the chambered stabbing bit… ex-military guy I was talking to mentioned it…

* * *

And that's about it! Hope you guys enjoyed and let know what you think!


	24. Author's Note

Author's Note

:

My dear readers,

I have been rereading and trying to find a way to revive this story, but I am running out of options. After much thought and deliberation I have decided that I will be rewriting this under a different title.

I will keep this work up and fix some typos here and there, but that's it. This version of the story is done. I kept trying to change the story into something different without really getting to the point in the first place…

So… I quit and I will start over. Maybe next time I can do better.

To my faithful readers I just wanted to say that I am sorry. Sorry for writing without a clear idea of what I was doing. Sorry that I just made up on the spot situations and drabbled on for thousands of words simply because I couldn't figure out what to write next…

I guess I am most sorry for all the wonderful reviewers that I have had through the months writing this. Suzulu4moe and Nanami especially but also lovecrazyhedgehog and even the one guest who cussed me out. You guys are amazing.

So… stuff I learned from writing this story:

I don't always have to make something edgy. I need to tone it down and have some fluff moments or just some plain old character moments with each other. I can't keep having new twists every other second... need some down time to make people really shocked...

I need to stop going on and on about consequences. Especially if every consequence gets solved in the same chapter or the next. I keep planning to do a big reveal, with serious motifs, but always get side tracked. If I want a serious tone to the story or consequences to stick, I need a real plan for where I want this story to go.

I need an actual plan. I need to sit down and actually write out a story arc. I never have a plan. Ever. No plan, no beta, just writing and then posting. This was my first story and I will be honest with you… I learned about the long list of betas, all waiting to help a sorry soul like me… yesterday. Literally, _yesterday_. I was about to check a PM and boom. Right there. Farthest toggle to the right. There it was, all this time… I'm a moron but this was melting my brain out my ears stupid. I started reading profiles, what they expected from a story, reading some actually good fanfiction, and some bad ones, to let me know what I could improve on. All I can say is that eyes have been opened up to the possibilities…

Author's Notes… I don't even know where to begin… I have no idea whether or not people even read them. I know Nanami does but other than them… To those of you that don't like them, I am terribly sorry. I will reduce my… meta influence… and just let the story speak for itself without trying to explain this and that and the other… (Do people even like these? Do people find them helpful?)

In closing I just want to thank every follower, favoriter, and reviewer and ask that if they like this story or my work in general that they try the rewrite. Other than that… I guess this is where we part ways.

Thanks for everything guys. I will figure out the new story in a few weeks. Until then.

-Ghostwriter789


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